Sword Art Kingdom: Final Mix
by Jacob Pendra-Huth
Summary: These stories happen within 'Sword Art Kingdom' and 'Sword Art Kingdom II: Dimensional Bonds'. They have little to no effect to the main stories whatsoever, though they might be important in the stories onward. This mainly involves the characters of Sora, Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Leafa, Riku, Kairi, and many other characters from the stories.
1. SAK Detailed Bio

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

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><p><span><strong>Introduction<strong>

**Author: Hello there, folks! My name is Jacob Pendra-Huth, creator of the 'Sword Art Kingdom Story'. I welcome all of you to my latest set of episodes within the last two 'Sword Art Kingdom' stories. These are known as the 'Final Mix' of the stories. For those who don't get it, they are like OVA in anime, so they have little to no affect to the two SAK stories. I'm here with my three main protagonists of the stories; Sora, Asuna & Kirito!**

**Asuna: It's great to be here, Jacob.**

**Sora: No kidding! To think my series of 'Kingdom Hearts', mixed with the series of 'Sword Art Online' could bring about such a great storyline.**

**Kirito: Though there's something ironic with that whole name 'Sword Art Kingdom'…**

**Sora: What do you mean?**

**Kirito: Didn't you noticed that the initials of 'Sword Art Kingdom', a.k.a SAK, contain the same first letters of our names?**

**Author: Kirito's right. S for Sora, A for Asuna, and K for Kirito. This was complete coincidence, I assure you.**

**Asuna: But that's not why you called us here, is it?**

**Author: No, actually. Since we dealt with such a long set of episodes, especially since it is a crossover, I figured some of our readers might be confused as to what each of the main character's backstories have become. So now, I wanted to explain to them what each of your backstories are like, beginning from each of your past endeavors, up to what you did in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series.**

**Kirito: No joke. And I bet all of this also follows up on how it will effect us in the future episodes, right?**

**Author: Right. So we should deal with almost all of the characters greatly involved in the series. Basically, thirteen characters.**

**Asuna: So who are you gonna explain first?**

**Author: Well, since the three of you are here, let's start with the three of you, starting with the first initial of my story; S…**

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><p><strong><span>Sora<span>**

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Sora')_

Sora is the main protagonist of the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and also one of the protagonists of the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. His home world is the Destiny Islands, where he lives with his best friends, Riku and Kairi.

Sora did not officially become a Keyblade wielder by normal means. Sora's origin started when he was only four years old. Sora had came in contact with two of the original Keyblade wielders, Terra and Aqua, but was not chosen by either one of them to be the next in line. Instead, Ventus' heart, which had been damaged after his battle against Vanitas, entered into Sora's heart, where he sleeps.

During the events of 'Kingdom Hearts', Sora was granted the power of the Keyblade, which was suppose to go to Riku. However, Riku's heart had given into the darkness. Using this power he gained, he journeyed with Donald Duck and Goofy in order to find Sora's friends and King Mickey, and stop Ansem and the Heartless from finding Kingdom Hearts. In the end, they prevailed, defeated Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and they sealed the Door to Darkness, with Riku and Mickey still inside.

The trio then set out to find a way to reach them, during the events, they discovered Castle Oblivion, and being tricked by Organization XIII, their memories were messed up by Naminé, Kairi's Nobody. In the end, the trio met Naminé, and she placed the trio in a deep sleep in order to return their memories back to the way they were once more, minus the memories of what happened in Castle Oblivion. So for a year, the trio slept, their memories being restored in the process…

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><p><span><strong>Asuna<strong>

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Fight!')_

Asuna Yuuki is the female protagonist of the 'Sword Art Online' series, along with the main female protagonist of the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. She comes from a rich family, where she lives with her mother, father and brother.

Asuna was not actually a true member of the Yuuki family. She was originally from Sora's dimension, and was the younger sister of Aqua, one of the original Keyblade wielders. She had the potential of becoming a Keyblade wielder, just like her sister. However, thanks to Xehanort's tampering, he sent Asuna to the other dimension when she was just a month old. This led to Aqua's true ambition to becoming a Keyblade Master; in order to find Asuna again.

Thanks to the guidance of Keyblade Master Gretinal, baby Asuna was set upon the doorsteps of the Yuuki residence. Along with her came also a white Wayfinder, given to her by Asuna's real mother, with her name inscribed by the young Aqua. Mr. and Mrs. Yuuki decided to take her in as their daughter, keeping the secret about her origin from anyone else, even Asuna herself. Mr. Yuuki even hid the Wayfinder from Asuna. Thus, she became Asuna Yuuki, a normal girl from a rich family, who had no idea of how special she really was.

At the age of fifteen, Asuna accidentally got herself trapped in Sword Art Online when she placed on her brother's NerveGear. Despite her utter lack of knowledge in VRMMOs, she quickly became one of the strongest fighters in the game, and was given the nickname 'Lightning Flash' after her superb skills with a rapier. She even became second in command of the best guild in the game, Knights of the Blood Oath.

During the two years she spent in the game, she had become connected to Kirito, the Beater of SAO. Despite a few quarrels here and there, the two eventually fell in love, and they became married in-game. During their marriage, they discovered the child, Yui, who was an AI, and she became their daughter.

In the end of it, when Kirito discovered Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of the game, and tried fighting him, Asuna protected Kirito, sacrificing herself so Kirito could beat Kayaba. The two survived the ordeal, and were thought to be sent back to the real world again.

However, Sugou Nobuyuki, the CEO of RECT Progress, and Asuna's fiancé, trapped Asuna and three hundred minds in ALFheim Online, where he attempted to seduce Asuna while discovering the way of controlling the minds of the trapped Players. However, Kirito, with the aid of Leafa and Recon, saved Asuna from Sugou's clutches, and defeated him.

Over the next year, Asuna had experienced many more such adventures, such as watching Kirito during the Phantom Bullet Arc or the Alicization Arc, to aiding Kirito in gaining Excalibur, to her moments with Yuuki Konno in the Mother's Rosario Arc. However, her events with Kirito and Yui were far from over, as she would soon find out…

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><p><strong><span>Kirito<span>**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Survive the Swordland')_

Kirito, a.k.a Kazuto Kirigaya, is the main protagonist of 'Sword Art Online', and is one of the main protagonists of the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He is the adopted child of the Kirigaya family, and he lives with his aunt, uncle, and his cousin Suguha.

Kirito was made a chosen wielder of the Keyblade, but had no way of activating its' power. However, he did embody one thing inside him; a piece of Terra's soul. He gained this after Xehanort took over Terra's body, and separating a part of Terra's soul from his body. It found its' way to the other dimension, where it fell asleep within Kirito's heart. Kirito had no idea this actually happened to him, since he was asleep at that moment.

Kirito didn't find out he was adopted until he discovered it at the age of ten. Since then, he was drawn to VRMMOs, separating himself from his family. At the age of fourteen, Kirito became one of the thousand beta testers for SAO, and was one of the finest among them. This led to him being trapped within the game when it came to the public. After the first floor boss battle, Kirito became known as a Beater, which is the combination of a beta tester and a cheater.

Over the two years of being trapped within the game, Kirito made friends with several people, and became the most powerful Solo Player in SAO. He was so strong, that he was granted access to the unique skill, Dual Wield, which was only given to the Player with the fastest reaction. During his journey, he gained a close relation to Asuna, and they became a married couple in-game. They even adopted Yui, an AI within SAO, as their daughter.

In the end, Kirito deduced that the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath, Heathcliff, was really Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of SAO. Kirito challenged him to a duel, Asuna sacrificed herself to protect Kirito, and Kirito got himself killed, but not before taking down Heathcliff. Both he and Asuna's lives were spared, and they, along with all the other survivors, left the game.

Three months later, during which Asuna had not woken up, Kirito discovered her within ALFheim Online, and decided to go in and save her. Through his efforts alongside Yui, Leafa, who was really his sister Suguha, Recon, and many others, Kirito made his way to the top of the World Tree, where Asuna was at. They stopped Sugou, who had undergone the name 'Oberon' as his avatar, thanks to Kirito's willpower, and saved Asuna and the three hundred minds trapped in ALO.

Over the next year, afterwards, Kirito underwent many other trials, like stopping Death Gun within Gun Gale Online, where he met Sinon, to claiming the legendary sword, Excalibur, to his trials within the Alicization Project. Overall, Kirito had more than his fair share of troubles and adventures in the online world, but nothing would prepare him for the next set of adventures that were about to bring down upon him.

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><p><span><strong>Donald Duck &amp; Goofy<strong>

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Mickey Mouse Club March')_

Donald and Goofy were friends and comrades of Sora in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and are deuteragonists within the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. They are residents of Disney Castle, where Donald is the Royal Magician of Disney Castle, and Goofy is the Captain of the Guard.

In the beginning of 'Kingdom Hearts', Donald discovered a letter that Pluto had from King Mickey, explaining that he disappeared, along with a mission he and Goofy must take. They set out to find the 'key' that Mickey explained by going to Traverse Town, where they met many Final Fantasy characters, along with Sora, who wielded the Keyblade. The three companions worked together to stop the Heartless and Ansem, while searching for Mickey and Sora's friends.

In the end, they defeated Ansem, and stopped him from gaining Kingdom Hearts. They sealed the Door to Darkness where Kingdom Hearts resided in, sealing King Mickey and Riku within, whom they would go search for again.

However, they ended up at Castle Oblivion, where they were tricked and their minds have been manipulated by Organization XIII and Naminé. They finally encounter Naminé, who explained the truth about what she had done, and decided to help them restore their memories back to normal. After defeating the members of the Organization residing in Castle Oblivion, both Donald and Goofy went into separate Memory Pods, where they would fall asleep while their memories were being restored. They would awaken a year later, beginning the next part of their journey with Sora…

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><p><span><strong>Yui<strong>

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Yui')_

Yui is an AI program, and Kirito & Asuna's daughter in the 'Sword Art Online' series, and a deuteragonist in 'Sword Art Kingdom'. She lives with her parents in the New ALFheim Online world, and is their Navigation Pixie.

Yui was created as a Mental Health Counseling Program for the players of SAO. However, the game system, Cardinal, forbid her from interacting with the Players, but only to watch them. As it was against her program, she developed many errors in her program. However, after witnessing the good feelings Kirito and Asuna felt, she wanted to meet them, but at that point, she had amnesia due to errors.

Kirito and Asuna found her and took care of her when she had amnesia. They even allowed her to be their daughter at that point. Some time later, when saving a guild leader, Thinker, she regained her memory and saved her parents thanks to the GM Console. However, because of this, she was about to be deleted by Cardinal had Kirito not turned her into a game object, thereby saving her as 'Yui's Heart'.

When Kirito entered ALFheim Online, his data from SAO transferred as well, and as such, he regained Yui's Heart again, turning her back to normal. Since that, she became a Navigation Pixie, assisting Kirito in saving Asuna from Sugou. She had been going on adventures with Kirito and Asuna ever since that point…

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><p><strong><span>Riku<span>**

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Riku')_

Riku is Sora's closest friend and rival in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and a deuteragonist in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. His home world is the Destiny Islands, where he lives with his best friends, Sora and Kairi.

When Riku was five years old, he was granted the power to use a Keyblade thanks to Terra's Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony. Terra also asked he keep this a secret from everyone.

Ten years later, as Riku, Sora and Kairi were building a raft, Riku accidentally released the Heartless into his world, and his obsession to leaving the islands drove him into darkness. This is why Sora gained the Keyblade instead of him.

Corrupted by Maleficent's words and controlled by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Riku turned against Sora, believing he abandoned him and Kairi, who had lost her heart to the darkness. It was later on that Riku came to his senses, protecting Kairi, Donald and Goofy at one point from Ansem before he was fully controlled. It was thanks to Sora defeating Ansem that Riku regained his body again, aiding Sora, Donald and Goofy from closing the Door to Darkness, sealing himself and Mickey inside it.

Later on, he awakens in Castle Oblivion, called upon by DiZ. He endures facing the darkness Ansem planted in his heart while fighting off against Organization XIII. Aided by Naminé and Mickey, Riku defeats Ansem, and accepts the darkness in his heart, knowing that darkness itself isn't evil. In the end, he chose neither the light or the dark, but the road to the dawn, and decides to aid Naminé and DiZ in restoring Sora's memory.

During the year Sora slept, Riku had to deal with the Organization even more, including dealing with Xion, who has some of Sora's memories in her, and Roxas, who is Sora's Nobody. Xion is defeated by Roxas, returning Sora's memories back, and Riku, who had failed to defeat Roxas at one point, ended up utilizing the darkness in his heart, changing his appearance and defeating Roxas, returning him to DiZ, where he would wait until he rejoins with Sora again…

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><p><strong><span>Leafa<span>**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Fly Higher and Faster')_

Leafa, a.k.a Suguha Kirigaya, is Kazuto/Kirito's cousin in the 'Sword Art Online' series, and a deuteragonist in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. She lives with her mother, father and her cousin Kazuto. She is also a descendant of one of the Keyblade Protectors of her dimension.

At a young age, Suguha had no idea Kazuto was not her real brother. She and Kazuto both learned kendo from their grandfather, but Kazuto quit practicing, and after learning he was adopted, he distanced himself from Suguha. He eventually was drawn to VRMMO, and that's what drawn him to SAO. It was during that time when Suguha learned about her relationship to Kazuto from her mother.

At first, Suguha hated VRMMOs, but she later became curious, since it attracted Kazuto. So with help from her friend Shinichi, a.k.a Recon, she entered ALFheim Online, taking on the name 'Leafa', and became one of the strongest Sylph warriors in the game due to her sword skills and her quick adaption to flying. Even after Kazuto woke up, she never told him she was playing the game, though she did have 'more than sisterly' feelings for him, though she gave up after meeting Asuna.

When Kirito entered ALFheim Online to save Asuna, Leafa was the first person he met and saved from a group of Salamanders, not knowing it was Suguha. Leafa guided Kirito and Yui to the World Tree, during which she started to fall in love with Kirito. After a failed attempt to reach Asuna, Kirito and Leafa realized who each of them really were. After a shocking moment between the two, they forgave one another, and Leafa, along with Recon and many Sylph and Cait Sith warriors, helped Kirito and Yui reach Asuna.

Since that time, Leafa had been part of the SAO team, alongside Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Silica, Liz, Klein and Agil, with Sinon later to join. She witnessed Kirito in action during Gun Gale Online, and assisted him in the Excalibur Arc. She and Kirito had closed the gap they had gained since Kazuto learned of his relationship. Now, she was going to help Kirito even more in times to come…

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><p><strong><span>Kairi<span>**

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Kairi')_

Kairi is a close friend of Sora's, plus one of the Princesses of Hearts in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and is a character in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. She lives on the Destiny Islands alongside Sora and Riku.

Originally from Radiant Garden, she was sent to Sora's and Riku's world at the age of four thanks to a magic spell placed by Aqua when her world was overtaken by the Heartless. Over the next ten years, she would become close friends with Sora and Riku.

At the beginning of Kingdom Hearts, Kairi helped Sora and Riku build a raft so they could discover new worlds. When Riku accidentally brought Heartless into their world, Kairi's heart was unknowingly placed within Sora while her lifeless body was sent to another world, only to be found by Riku.

At Hollow Bastion, Sora finds Kairi's body and learns of her fate. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, explained to Sora that he had Kairi's heart in him all the time, and that was one of the seven Princesses of Heart.

After driving away Ansem temporarily, Sora released Kairi's heart back into her body using the Keyblade of People's Hearts, but he ended up turning into a Shadow Heartless. As Kairi, Donald and Goofy escaped from Hollow Bastion, Heartless Sora followed, and after Kairi recognized him, she freed Sora from the darkness, returning him to normal. After that, Sora brought her to Traverse Town, where she would be safe and protected. And after convincing her to stay there so she could be safe, Sora gains Kairi's lucky charm; her seashell Wayfinder.

After Sora defeated Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and closed the Door to Darkness, Kairi appeared on a piece of the Destiny Islands. As the destroyed worlds were returning back to normal, Sora promised Kairi he would return once he found Riku and Mickey. Kairi returned to the Destiny Islands, where she awaited Sora's return for over a year…

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><p><strong><span>Recon<span>**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Last Flight')_

Recon, a.k.a Shinichi Nagata, is a Sylph warrior in the 'Sword Art Online' series, and a character in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He goes to the same school as Suguha Kirigaya, a.k.a Leafa, who he became in love with.

While Kirito was trapped in SAO, Suguha wanted to learn about VRMMORPGs, but she still wanted to keep doing kendo and studying. When she approached Shinichi, he suggested ALFheim online, since it wasn't time-intensive, and it was based on the Player's skills. He then became Leafa's partner and mentor, though she surpassed him in due time.

When Kirito entered ALFheim Online for the first time, Leafa and Recon were ambushed by a group of Salamanders, and Recon ended up being defeated thanks to a stray fire spell and a slice from a dying Salamander. However, it was through this ambush that he suspected the party leader, Sigurd, was a Sylph traitor for the Salamanders.

After spying on Sigurd, he discovered his hunch was right, as he heard him converse with two Salamanders about a Tracer on Kirito and Leafa, plus an attack from the Salamanders on the alliance conference between the Sylphs and Cait Siths which, if all went well, would cause a war between the two races. Before Recon could warn Leafa, he was paralyzed and captured by the Salamanders. So instead, he warned Suguha outside of ALFheim. Thanks to the warning, Kirito and Leafa stopped the attack and banished Sigurd.

Recon escaped and reunited with Leafa at the edge of the World Tree. There, he confessed his love to Leafa, but got punched instead. Later, he joins Kirito and Leafa in the assault on the World Tree. He helps heal Kirito at first, then started drawing in the guardians to protect Kirito and Leafa. He ended up unleashing a powerful Dark-attribute, self destruct spell, sacrificing himself in order to destroy a large number of guardians, giving enough time for the Sylph and Cait Sith armies to arrive and aid Leafa and Kirito, allowing the Black Swordsman to reach the top to save Asuna.

Since then, he was offered as a member of the Lord manor staff thanks to the Sylph Lord Sakuya. While he never played any roles in the future adventures involving Kirito and friends, he would play a big part later on, alongside Leafa, a year later…

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><p><span><strong>Mickey Mouse<strong>

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Magical Mystery')_

Mickey Mouse, also known as King Mickey, is the main Disney protagonist of the 'Kingdom Hearts' series, and a character in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He is King of Disney Castle and is a skilled Keyblade Master.

He was originally taught to wield the Keyblade under Yen Sid, another Keyblade Master. However, when he sensed the worlds were in danger, he runs away and uses a Star Shard to travel to other worlds, where he meets the three former Keyblade wielders; Terra, Aqua and Ventus. He forms a friendship with each of them, though Terra only sees him when he left the Mysterious Tower.

When the three students of Eraqus fought against Xehanort and Vanitas at the Keyblade Graveyard, Mickey aids Aqua as they fought Ventus-Vanitas, and defeats him. He then brings Ven's body and Aqua back to the Mysterious Tower. Some time after Aqua left with Ven's body, Mickey thought he failed to help and disappoint Yen Sid, but he instead was promoted to Keyblade Master.

Over the next ten years, Mickey had designed the Gummi Ship in order to travel to Radiant Garden, where he befriended Ansem the Wise and met Apprentice Xehanort.  
>Before the beginning of 'Kingdom Hearts', Mickey noticed the disappearances of worlds, and left Disney Castle in order to discover what was causing it, along with learning about Organization XIII. He left a note with Pluto for Donald and Goofy to find, which told them to find another Keyblade Wielder, which would be Sora.<p>

Discovering a Corridor of Darkness, Mickey passed through and found the Kingdom Key D Keyblade, which would seal the Door to Darkness. Using the Keyblade, and with help from Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku, he sealed the Door to Darkness, with him and Riku still within the Realm.

Mickey, still trapped within the Realm of Darkness, aids Riku, who had was in Castle Oblivion, as a ball of light, guiding him until he could reach Riku in person. He eventually frees from the Realm, reaches Riku, and meets DiZ, whom he felt he had met once before. DiZ gives both Mickey and Riku the black coats of Organization XIII to use as disguises.

After Riku defeats Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Mickey saves him from the darkness, and the two form a strong friendship, even Riku having to call Mickey by name. They leave Castle Oblivion, and the two parted ways at Hollow Bastion when Riku was worried about Xehanort's Heartless still within him, and he wanted to fight it alone.

During the year Sora slept, Mickey had encountered Riku again when he had the form of 'Ansem'. Mickey made a promise never to tell Sora of what happened to Riku when he wakes up again. So Mickey continued to search for more clues on Organization XIII, along with finding Ansem the Wise…

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><p><strong><span>Akihiko Kayaba<span>**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Taut Nerves')_

Heathcliff, a.k.a Akihiko Kayaba, is the antagonist in the first arc of the 'Sword Art Online' series, and a character and boss in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He was the original creator of the NerveGear and the game Sword Art Online.

He created Sword Art Online with the intention to create an ideal world, free from the rule of the outside world. He had successfully trapped ten thousand Players within the game. Under a disguise, he told them that the only way to escape was to conquer all hundred floors of Aincrad. If they died in the game, or if their NerveGear was removed from the outside world, their brains would be fried, and they would die. Explaining the rules and changing the avatars of all the players to look like their real life bodies, he then leaves them.

He then took on the form of Heathcliff, the leader of the guild 'Knights of the Blood Oath', and was known as the strongest Player in the game. His strength and name grew far and wide throughout the game, given him the title 'Man of Legend', since his health never went into the yellow zone, due to the system protecting him. He also hid the fact that he would be the final boss on the 100th floor of Aincrad.

When Asuna, who was second in command in the 'Knights of the Blood Oath', wanted to leave the guild to be with Kirito, Heathcliff challenged Kirito to a duel. It was through this fight, when Heathcliff's speed increased beyond the system limits to block Kirito's attack, that Kirito suspected Heathcliff's identity. His suspicions were true after the 75th floor boss, and he revealed his identity. Kirito then fought against Heathcliff, with the reward being everyone's freedom from the game. After Asuna sacrificed herself to save Kirito, he pulled off a miracle, and defeated Heathcliff, who spared Kirito and Asuna's lives, and freed them, along with the rest of the Players trapped within.

After the collapse of SAO, Kayaba transferred his consciousness into the virtual world permanently, though killing his real body in the process. He then later encourages Kirito during his fight against Oberon, a.k.a Sugou Nobuyuki, giving Kirito the strength to continue fighting and allowing him access to his old administrator ID, giving him the power to defeat Oberon. After Oberon's defeat and Asuna's return to the real world, Kayaba appears before Kirito, giving him the World Seed as compensation for helping Kirito, then disappeared from him.

While it was unknown what happened to Kayaba afterwards, his consciousness still existed within the virtual world. It was over a year later, when he would be soon discovered where he would be…

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><p><strong><span>Sugou Nobuyuki<span>**

_(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Oberon')_

Sugou, a.k.a Oberon, is the antagonist of the second arc of the 'Sword Art Online' series, and is an antagonist in the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series. He is also Asuna's ex-fiance, and the chief of RECT Progress, which created ALFheim Online.

His origins beyond his school years were unknown, but he was in the same school as Akihiko Kayaba, whom he considered his rival. He was selected by Asuna's father to marry Asuna, and was adopted into the family. When SAO was cleared by Kirito, he rerouted and trapped three hundred SAO Players, including Asuna, within ALFheim Online, using them as test subjects in researching the ability to controlling and manipulating a person's heart and Soul. It was in ALO where he took on the name 'Oberon'.

He was first seen in Asuna's hospital room, where he taunts Kazuto about marrying Asuna before leaving. In ALO, he trapped Asuna in a giant bird cage, giving her the name 'Titania', as she would be his wife. However, Asuna now saw Sugou's true colors, and refused to marry him, despite knowing she could not escape. Oberon often visited her, taunting and harassing her, though he slipped out the fact that Kirito was alive, giving Asuna hope.

When Kirito and Yui arrived to save Asuna, Oberon used his administrator privileges to pin Kirito down, shackled Asuna and started sexually assaulting her in front of the helpless Kirito. However, thanks to Akihiko Kayaba, Kirito used his administrator ID to nullify Oberon's superiority, producing the weapon Excalibur for the helpless Oberon, setting the Pain Absorber to zero, and effortlessly dissected and defeated Oberon.

In the real world, Sugou attempted to attack Kazuto in the hospital parking lot with a knife. However, due to the pain he had felt in their previous battle, plus the fogginess in his glasses, Kazuto turned the tables, and defeated him, though sparring his life. Sugou was arrested, interrogated, and sent to prison, where he spent for the year afterwards…

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><p><strong><span>Author:<span> Well, that's all the characters that have a big impact to the story.**

**Sora: What about Xemnas and the rest of Organization XIII?**

**Author: They all play their part, but they aren't as affected as the thirteen said above, maybe with the exception of Axel and Naminé, but that's about it.**

**Asuna: So are you gonna explain about what happened after that year, when Sora slept and everything after Oberon's defeat?**

**Author: I was getting to that!**

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><p><em><strong>In dedication to my Fanfiction buddy, Kingdom Cure…<strong>_

**(Shadow the Hedgehog and Xion appear out of nowhere)**

**Shadow: Here's your world again.**

**Xion: Yeah, but this isn't my author's studio.**

**Author: Xion! Shadow! What are you doing here?**

**Xion: My author sent me to a different world, so Shadow was bringing me back so I can beat up my author!**

**Author: Oooh, you mean 'Kingdom Cure'. Sorry, but she's several blocks away from here. If you leave my place, and go down the road for four blocks, take a right, then a left, you should meet her.**

**Xion: Thanks! By the way, are you gonna do anything with me in your stories?**

**Author: We'll see what happens in the future. Just don't hurt 'Kingdom Cure' too badly, or I might change my mind.**

**Xion: (sigh) I can't guarantee that I wouldn't put her to the brink of death, but I'll do what I can. Thanks for the ride, Shadow. I'd better get moving!**

**(Xion races out of the station. Shadow uses Chaos Control to teleport away.)**

**Author: Say hi to 'Kingdom Cure' for me!**

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><p><strong><span>Author:<span> Ahem! Where was I?**

**Kirito: You were about to give a brief story on the 'Sword Art Kingdom' series, involving both stories so far.**

**Author: That's right. This is all so others, who haven't actually read the full story, can get the broad picture as to what happens in both 'Sword Art Kingdom' and 'Sword Art Kingdom II: Dimensional Bonds'. So without further ado, let's get on with it!**

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><p><strong><span>Sword Art Kingdom I<span>**

The story starts with DiZ telling Roxas in the digital Twilight Town to head to the mansion to rejoin with Sora. Ansem-Riku then wonders about a side project that DiZ had been creating, which was to ask for help in another world, mainly the virtual world of 'New ALFheim Online'.

In the other dimension, Kirito and Asuna conversed about a new and unusual quest that had popped up in Aincrad. They decided to work together to take it on, so using their old 'Sword Art Online' avatars (Author note: I know in the anime/manga, they don't get them back in the New ALFheim, so let's just say for the record the two recreated their original characters again a year later), they took on the quest, with Yui at their side.

They entered into the dungeon where the quest was at, and made it to the boss room, taking on the digital version of the 'Guard Armor' Heartless. After defeating it, they activated a program which sent the three of them into a digital wormhole. As it turns out, this quest was placed by DiZ, and the program sent them to his dimension in Twilight Town.

Both Kirito and Asuna entered their own hearts, where they took on a trial that would unlock a new power within them. When they woke up, the two of them and Yui found themselves inside a computer room in the bottom level of a mansion. There, they discovered where they were, and saw they couldn't go back. As they looked around the mansion, they encountered Heartless, and learned that through completing the trial, Kirito and Asuna could now wield mystical weapons called 'Keyblades'. Kirito and Asuna produced their new weapons, Kirito's being called the Oblivion, and Asuna's being the Oathkeeper. With great skills, they defeated the Heartless attack.

After this encounter, they discovered the newly awakened Donald and Goofy, and then they met Sora afterwards. They left the mansion together, and looked around Twilight Town, meeting new people, and discovering where King Mickey was at.

They raced to the train station, where they encountered a swarm of Nobodies, which almost defeated the five heroes had it not been for Mickey's arrival. He gave them a small pouch before leaving them. Kirito and Asuna decided that the only way to figure out what was going on with them was to join Donald, Goofy and Sora on their journey to find their friends.

The heroes departed on a magical train, arriving at the Mysterious Tower, where they met Pete, Maleficent's underling. Afterwards, the heroes went to the top of the tower, where they met Yen Sid, Mickey's teacher. He tells Kirito, Asuna and Yui about DiZ, and his reasons for bringing the trio to his dimension. Afterwards, he explains to the entire group about the mission they were given, along with the enemies they would encounter, such as the Heartless, Nobodies and Organization XIII.

After understanding their mission, the trio were given new garments that would give them powers in their journey. It was at this point that Yui discovered she had data on all the Heartless, Nobodies, Keyblades, and many other things in her, which was uploaded thanks to DiZ when sending the trio through the digital portal. Afterwards, Kirito, Asuna and Yui were introduced to the Gummi ship, and the trio, now understanding their reason for being in the dimension, decided to aid Sora and his friends on his journey.

They went to several worlds, encountering old and new friends of Sora. They were also introduced to the members of Organization XIII, who hinted they had a new member in their also kept meeting Pete, and finally met Maleficent, whom Sora thought was gone. With each world they went to, they unlocked special gates that allowed them to go further and towards new worlds. Such worlds were Hollow Bastion, Olympus Coliseum, Disney Castle, and many others.

Meanwhile, Naminé, who helped restore Sora, Donald and Goofy's memories, called upon Leafa and Recon from ALFheim Online. She explained that DiZ believed Leafa had the gift of wielding the Keyblade. Leafa dove into her heart and unlocked the power to do so. They aided Naminé in the attempt to save Kairi, but Axel, an Organization member, took her instead, with Pluto at their side. Since then, Leafa and Recon trained themselves to be strong enough to help their friends.

After some time, Kirito, Asuna and Yui reunited with Leafa and Recon in Twilight Town, and the two Sylph Warriors were introduced to Sora, Donald and Goofy. They also discovered the new member of Organization XIII; Sugou's Nobody, Gouxus, who came into being **(Author: Well, Nobodies don't have beings, but you know what I mean)** a week before Kirito and Asuna came to the new dimension, in order to fulfill the mission of the Organization to control Kingdom Hearts.

After Naminé explained he was the main reason the heroes came to help Sora and his friends, the five heroes from the other dimension had an even bigger goal to get to. It was after this that Sora discovered that Kairi was taken by Organization XIII, which drove him even further to finding and defeating the Organization.

After a couple worlds more, the heroes returned to Hollow Bastion, where Leafa and Recon now resided in. After a reunion with Mickey, they learned from him that the previous enemy Sora, Donald and Goofy fought, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, was not actually the real Ansem, but was a Heartless using his name, and that the Nobody created with the Heartless Ansem was the leader of Organization XIII.

The Organization sent a swarm of Heartless onto Hollow Bastion. Sora, Kirito, and Asuna's crew joining forces with Leafa, Recon, Mickey, and many other fighters residing in Hollow Bastion to take down the swarm, which also resulted in defeating one of the Organization members, Demyx **(Author: His somebody later appears in the real world in Kirito and Asuna's world, alongside the somebody of Larxene.)**.

It was after fighting off three thousand Heartless did Axel, who became a traitor to the Organization, slip out the true objective of the Organization; To have the Keyblade wielders destroy as many Heartless as possible. The Keyblade releases the hearts, which the Organization collects to form Kingdom Hearts. Though this troubled the heroes, they decided to revisit worlds in order to find clues on the Organization's stronghold.

Sora, Asuna, Kirito, Donald, Goofy and Yui visited a few more worlds, during which they defeated another member of the Organization, Xaldin, they discovered that Gouxus had done the unthinkable; He teleported the floating castle of Aincrad into Sora's dimension. The heroes went to work undoing this before the Heartless could do anything to it, aided by friends of Kirito's and Asuna's.

While Sora, Donald, Goofy and two of Kirito's friends went to take down the source that kept Aincrad in Sora's dimension, Kirito and Asuna were reunited with Heathcliff, who challenged them to a duel once more. Kirito and Asuna defeated him, and Heathcliff shed off his avatar, revealing his real identity as Akihiko Kayaba.

Kayaba then starts to tell the truth; He let Kirito defeat him long ago when he saw how his will overcame the system. He also knew they would reboot Aincrad after its' destruction, in which Kayaba had hid himself and some data he saved within the floating castle. What he had saved was actually the data of all the defeated Players when they were trapped in SAO. Kayaba believed that Sora's dimension could have the potential to revive them again. Kirito and Asuna accepted the offer, and added Kayaba to the list of people to be revived again. They stored the data into an orb called 'Aincrad's Soul', and gained the 'Elucidator' and 'Lambent Light' Keyblades.

They reunited with Sora's crew, with Leafa and Recon there as well, who knew how do return Aincrad back thanks to Axel. They succeeded in returning Aincrad back to the virtual world, and the heroes escaped the place before it disappeared, knowing that they had to still take care of Organization XIII.

After a couple more worlds, Kirito finally found the solution to revive the Players; using Tron's world inside the computer, they could use its' technology to bring the Players back to life in reality. The plan succeeded when Tron defeated the MCP, and took control of the system, reviving the near four thousand Players, who currently live in the worlds of Hollow Bastion and Twilight Town.

After the events of Kirito fighting against Sephiroth, Leafa and Recon, along with Naminé and Riku, discovered where the Organization's stronghold was, and how to get there. They left clues for Sora, Asuna and Kirito's group to follow, along with Mickey, towards the World That Never Was, the world where Organization XIII's stronghold was at. It was also here, as Mickey pointed out, that Ansem the Wise, the real Ansem, was at. It was through this that Axel sacrificed himself to save Sora, Leafa and the others from a swarm of Nobodies.

Arriving into the dark world, Leafa went on ahead to help save Kairi, while the others endured their own trouble; Kirito, Asuna and Sora ended up fighting an opponent each within their hearts; Sora fought Roxas, Kirito fought his dark self, and Asuna fought an armored Aqua, who claimed she had a connection with Asuna. After each hero defeated their opponent, they progressed onward.

Meanwhile, Naminé and Leafa rescued Kairi and Pluto, and Riku and Recon aided them in time to fight off one of the Organization members, Saïx. At this point, the five heroes, along with Mickey, arrived inside the stronghold. After Mickey separated from the others, the crew dove further into the stronghold, meeting up with Xigbar, the second member of Organization XIII, and defeated him. They were also reunited with Kairi, Leafa, Recon and Riku, who Sora didn't recognize at first since he looked like Heartless Ansem, but Kairi helped him. At this point, Mickey was reunited with Ansem the Wise, who intended to store Kingdom Hearts moon into data using a machine, so as to prevent Xemnas, the leader of the Organization, from having it.

The crew started taking out members of the Organization, such as Luxord and Saïx, and then Gouxus, who revealed how he came to be there to the heroes. It was through the battle with Gouxus that Leafa gained her new signature Keyblade, Sylphwing.

Ansem the Wise's machine failed to store Kingdom Hearts moon, and as a result, it exploded, making Ansem disappear, and reverting Riku back to his normal look again. However, Ansem was successful in damaging Kingdom Hearts moon, but it created thousands of Heartless in response, to which Maleficent and Pete, who were in the castle, fended off for the heroes while they fought Xemnas.

They arrived at the top of the castle, where Xemnas was at. Sora first fought him on his own. Then, when Xemnas attempted to retreat into the damaged Kingdom Hearts moon, Sora, Kirito, Asuna, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Leafa and Yui followed him and defeated him in there. He disappeared, thought to be defeated.

Thanks to Naminé, a black portal opened up for the heroes, save for Kirito, Asuna, Sora and Riku. The portal closed on the four, and they saw Xemnas in a dragon form, ready to continue fighting. The four pursued on vehicles, and they worked together to destroy the Dragon Xemnas. The group reappeared in another area, in front of Xemnas, who had reached his Final form. After a difficult battle, Kirito, Asuna and Riku combined their powers into Sora's Keyblade, giving him the power to finish off Xemnas for good.

After the battle, the four arrived in the Realm of Darkness, along the shores of the Dark Margin. After a moment of being there, a bottle sent by Kairi before their journey appeared before them, with a letter inside. After reading it, the Door to Light appeared in front of the four, and they escaped the Realm of Darkness, appearing in Sora's world, the Destiny Islands. The other members of their team were there as well, and they were reunited once again.

After they were done celebrating, Kirito, Asuna and their friends from their dimension parted ways with Sora and his friends at Twilight Town before using the program Ansem left for them before he disappeared, allowing them to return home once again. Apart from still being able to wield the Keyblade, everything for Kirito, Asuna, Leafa, Recon and Yui seemed to be back to normal. However, a month later, they got a message with Mickey's emblem on Kirito's laptop, to which they responded on returning back to Sora's dimension once again.

In the Blank Point, it featured the heroes preparation before departing to Sora's dimension, and the conversation between Ansem the Wise and Aqua, who revealed she knew Aqua when she was just a baby.

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><p><strong><span>Sword Art Kingdom II: Dimensional Bonds<span>**

The story starts with a mysterious cloaked figure reviving an unconscious Vanitas. He then later seen with Maleficent and Pete, striking a deal with them to aid in his quest to find the doorway to Kingdom Hearts in his dimension, which was the same dimension Kirito and Asuna are from, the prize being that both he and Maleficent would rule each of their dimensions.

Meanwhile, Kirito, Asuna, Leafa, Recon and Yui return to Sora's dimension, where they were reunited with Sora and the rest of the gang, including Kayaba, who had become the chief scientist of Disney Castle. They went there to celebrate the victory against Organization XIII, but after a playful Struggle tournament, new monsters called Unversed appeared in Disney Castle, disrupting the party. Vanitas soon introduced himself to the crew, taunting the group that indicated Kirito's and Asuna's dimension was in danger. After that, he disappeared into a black portal.

Reacting to their hearts, Sora, Asuna, Kirito, Leafa, Mickey and Riku's Keyblades activated, producing a gateway that sent the entire world of Disney Castle into the other dimension. When they arrived, they discovered that Yui's body and clothing had changed, allowing her the ability to fight alongside the others. And so, Sora, Asuna, Kirito, Donald, Goofy and Yui set out on the Gummi ship to find new worlds.

Soon after leaving, they crash-landed in the world of Yusnaan, where they met many new people whom they would become friends with, and Sora, Asuna and Kirito gained a brand new power; The Soul Drive. The new power is similar to their Drive Forms, but instead of the standard forms like Valor, Wisdom and others, they use the power of the Soul Drive orbs they are given by people they share a close bond with, utilizing the same attacks as the souls they have been given. With this power, the group set out to save the worlds from the Heartless and Unversed.

They journeyed to many worlds, where Maleficent, Pete and Vanitas seem to have their sights set on special items called the 'Keys of Darkness', orbs of dark emotions that are within special individuals, including Asuna herself. Along with this, Vanitas continuously targeted Asuna, as she was a target he was going for in his previous life before he went unconscious. This was due to the mysterious connection between her and Aqua.

It was later on in their journey that they discovered Kirito and Asuna's real life world. They were reunited with their friends from 'New ALFheim Online', along with Asuna's father, Shouzou. In the hospital where Kazuto, Asuna, Suguha and Shinichi's bodies were at, the team made a shocking discovery; Asuna was actually adopted into the Yuuki family. Not only that, but based on Shouzou's story, she came from another world. Shouzou returned Asuna the white Wayfinder that came with her as a baby. After a mental conflict, Asuna decided that she wouldn't let this tear her from her family, and to still consider the people who raised her as her family. Her Wayfinder would be considered her new pendant, alongside Kirito's Elucidator pendant and Sora's crown pendant.

Returning back to Yusnaan, where Leafa, Recon, Riku and Kairi were at, the discovered that Leafa was also capable of using the Soul Drive, but she had it inside of her all along, not like Sora, Asuna and Kirito, who were granted its' power. This mystery would soon reveal in due time.

The team continued to go to many worlds, following the trail of Vanitas, Maleficent and Pete, along with the mystery of the Keys of Darkness. It wasn't until back in Yusnaan, during a tournament that the trio of villains interrupted to steal two Keys of Darkness from Snow and Erza Scarlet did they discover what they were for; They could unlock the pathway to Kingdom Hearts. Vanitas' mask also broke, revealing his face underneath.

This was discovered by Lightning and Hope, who learned it from a mysterious Keyblade Master named Gretinal, who also told them how to prevent the Heartless and Unversed from overtaking worlds; By sealing each world's Keyhole of Bond. Each one reveals itself when certain individuals from each world form a special bond. With this knowledge, the six heroes departed once again to each world, sealing the Keyholes of Bond in each world.

Through all the worlds they visited, the heroes understood the different forms of bonds made between people, and each one revealed their individual Keyhole of Bond, sealing the Heartless and Unversed from each world.

After achieving in gaining one of the Keys of Darkness, they were called upon by Keyblade Master Gretinal in her world, the Realm of Arrival. Along with them were King Mickey, Leafa and Kairi. There, they met Gretinal herself, along with her three students; Cypress, Jackson and Latias. Gretinal then told the six heroes, Mickey, Leafa and Kairi all about the history of the Keyblade War that happened in her dimension, along with the origins of the Keys of Darkness, and the ones who created them known as the Keyblade Protectors. She also revealed the identity of the cloaked figure that Maleficent, Vanitas and Pete were in league with; Sugou's Heartless, Oberon.

She then further revealed the truths of how Kirito, Asuna and Leafa were able to wield Keyblades. For Asuna, Gretinal revealed her connection to Aqua; She is Asuna's older sister, but was sent to this dimension thanks to a rift between the two dimensions.

For Kirito, he had the capability of using the Keyblade to begin with, but he had a piece of Terra's soul that broke off thanks to Xehanort possessing Terra's body. Thus, it was through this that when he and Asuna traveled to Sora's dimension the first time, it activated both of their powers to use the Keyblade.

For Leafa, she was one of the descendants of the Keyblade Protectors. Not only that, but her ancestor possessed an incredible power of 'bonding', which explained Leafa's innate ability to use the Soul Drive, and many other things that happened.

After this talk, Vanitas appeared, revealing he knew of Asuna's connection to Aqua all along, which was why he hunted her down before. After a fight against Vanitas, Asuna decided to keep searching for Aqua, now fully aware of what she is to her, and that she would believe they would know each other once they do. This gave birth to Asuna's unique Keyblade, Sisterly Tides.

After sealing the Keyholes of Bonds from many worlds, and obtaining another Key of Darkness, the team arrived at Kirito and Asuna's world again, who's Keyhole had not been found by their friends yet. Reuniting with a few more friends that joined the group at the hospital, Vanitas arrived, unleashing his full strength against Sora, Asuna and Kirito, along with his friends. Although he fought his hardest, he was defeated by the trio in the end.

Shortly after, Oberon destroyed Vanitas and took his powers, revealing that Vanitas was not the real one, but a puppet made by Xehanort. He, Maleficent and Pete took the four SAO/ALO fighter's bodies, escaping to their home base, Desolate Castle. Sora, Asuna, Kirito, Riku, Kairi, Leafa, Recon, Donald, Goofy, Yui, Mickey and Kayaba all pursued them through a portal Kayaba designed, allowing them to reach Desolate Castle.

After reaching the interior of the castle, they discovered that their memories of Vanitas had started to grow fuzzy, and they couldn't remember him. This led to the conclusion of what Oberon might be after; to make others forget the memories of people closest to them. At the same time, Oberon betrayed Pete and Maleficent, sending them back to their dimension again.

Upon arriving in the throne room of the castle, where Oberon was at, they found out what he did to Kazuto, Asuna, Suguha and Shinichi's bodies; Oberon placed darkness into each body, making them resemble the darkness of Kirito, Asuna, Leafa and Recon. The four engaged in a battle against their darkened bodies, dubbed the Dark Puppets. However, they were unwilling to damage their own bodies, so they got easily defeated.

The four were placed in a machine that was suppose to wipe their existence from everyone's memory, including the memories of the four had with each other. It almost succeeded, but Asuna's Wayfinder glowed brightly, bringing her mind to where Aqua was at in the Dark Margin. Giving her words of advice and a new Soul Drive, Aqua Soul, Asuna called out to the other three, bringing them back to their senses and returning back to reality.

The four engaged in combat with their dark selves once again, now fighting back with all they had. In the midst of this, Recon discovered he had become a Keyblade wielder thanks to Leafa and her powers of bonding. The four opened their dark selves to the light, and returned them back to their hearts once again.

The victory was short lived as Oberon took the two Keys of Darkness the team had, and escaped into the End of the World. With the appearance of Gretinal joining the group, the thirteen heroes raced onward, chasing after Oberon into the End of the World.

After pursuing Oberon deep into the world, they finally reached him at the wall of darkness that blocked the path forward to Kingdom Hearts. Sora, Asuna and Kirito engaged Oberon in a tough battle, and defeated him. However, the Keys of Darkness had already unsealed the wall of darkness. However, the built up energy of negative emotions and darkness consumed Oberon and the rest of the End of the World, transforming him into a giant, demonic-like form known as Unversed-Heartless Oberon. Oberon then sent a huge army of Heartless and Unversed at the heroes, determined to snuff out any light in the dimension.

Using the powers of the Keyholes of Bonds, the heroes called upon all their friends from all the worlds they visited, and they fought against the incredibly large army Oberon sent. All of them helped the heroes reach Oberon, and using the Chaos Emeralds from Sonic's world, Sora, Asuna and Kirito entered their Super forms, and took on Oberon.

However, Gretinal warned the remaining heroes that Oberon was being fed by the energy from the Realm of Darkness, making him invincible. They reached the Door to Darkness, where they needed to seal the door from the inside and out in order to stop the flow of energy from being fed to Oberon. At first, Mickey and Kayaba offered to do it, but Recon intruded, insisting on doing the task himself. Leafa downright refused at first, but after hearing her boyfriend's words, and seeing her friends, she let him do it. Together, Leafa and Recon sealed the Door to Darkness, with Recon trapped within.

With the power cut off, Sora, Asuna and Kirito were now able to take down Oberon, who was not gonna give up without a fight. In the end, the trio called upon the light of everyone's heart, giving them the power to unleash their strongest Cross Burst attack, Sword Art Kingdom. With it, they finally defeated Oberon.

With Oberon gone, all the worlds returned to normal, and everyone returned to their respective worlds. The heroes ended up back in Kirito and Asuna's world again, where Kirito, Asuna and Leafa sealed the last Keyhole of Bond, the Keyhole of Love. Afterwards, they said their goodbyes to Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kayaba and the rest of the people from Sora's dimension as they returned to Disney Castle. Sora, Riku, Mickey, Kirito, Asuna and Leafa unlocked the gateway between the dimensions again, and sent the world of Disney Castle back to its' rightful place.

But the journey was far from over, as Gretinal feared that Xehanort might return once again, and the battles with Gouxus and Oberon might unleash a chain of events to come. Therefore, she decided it was time to test Kirito, Asuna and Leafa's abilities as Keyblade wielders, to see if they have what it takes to take on the darkness ahead, and to become Keyblade Masters by putting them through the Mark of Mastery. This moment will happen one month after the events of 'Sword Art Kingdom II'.

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><p><strong><span>Author:<span> I hope this will clear things up for all new story readers, or readers who had a hard time following the story.**

**Kirito: Truth be told, I was a bit confused here and there, but now, I can see the broad picture.**

**Sora: Now while Riku and I take our Mark of Mastery in our dimension, you guys and Leafa will take your's in your dimension.**

**Asuna: I just wish I knew what was gonna happen next in that trial.**

**Author: Well, for all the readers out there, I will reveal worlds for which the heroes will take part in, or the names of Anime or video games that will be made into worlds. I think after the hints from the ending of 'Sword Art Kingdom II: Dimensional Bonds', that you figured out where they start.**

**Kirito: It's Twilight Town.**

**Author: That's right, and the group of people for which will be residence there will be…**

**Puella Magi Madoka Magica**

**Asuna: I can't wait to see what will happen in 'Sword Art Kingdom: Falling Fantasy'!**

**Sora: Me, too!**

**Kirito: You won't be in it! At least, not in most of it.**

**Author: Let's get through all the episodes of 'Sword Art Kingdom: Final Mix', alright? So readers, please leave a review, tell your friends, and be patient for the next episode!**


	2. Leafa & Axel! Fiery Wind Connection!

**Time for adding some side stories. For the record, the first two aren't going to be in chronological order. Excluding the Detailed Bio, there are sixteen episodes in the Final Mix, and this is Ep. 2. However, since I was anxious about this one, and since I finished it before Ep. 1, I decided to post this now. Some of this is from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix scenes. Here it is, the episode of close bonds between Fire and Wind. (Note that Sora and Leafa are dimensional counterparts)**

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><p><em>(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)<em>

(_Axel speaking_) _Ever since Roxas left the Organization, I had been hoping to find a way to bring him back. When Organization XIII discovered where he was, I immediately volunteered to bring him back. Course, they told me that he had no memory of his past, so they wanted him to remember who he was again. Since I was his closest friend, I knew I could coax some memories out of him. I mean, how many times did I ask him to 'get it memorized'?_

_When I discovered him, it was just as they said; Roxas was as clueless as he was when he first entered the Organization. I tried to get him to come around, but that guy, DiZ, intruded on our conversation, and I had to flee. I could've felt remorse for the lost of my friend's memories. Course, I'm a Nobody; I can't feel remorse. Got it memorized?_

_Although, I was pretty dang close when the Organization told me to eliminate Roxas so he wouldn't return to Sora. At first, I refused, but when they warned me that if I didn't, I would turn into a Dusk, I had no choice. Guess that's how it is, then._

_I tried to eliminate him, but Roxas gained enough of his memories to know how to fight me for real. I was beaten from this, and had to retreat. However, I was glad to see my closest friend back to normal. Even so, he is with Sora, again. I wish he was still around, though. I wanted to see him again. I'll try to find a way to reach him, no matter what._

_Although, about a week ago, Organization XIII did something that was pretty wild; they brought someone from another dimension to aid in the fight against one another. The Organization brought a new member to our ranks, a guy by the name of Gouxus. He was pretty unusual, especially since he remembered all of his past, unlike any other Nobody. He was brought to find a way to control the hearts, once Kingdom Hearts was finally complete. Looks like our ambitions have grown more than just wanting hearts, now._

_I went to meet with Naminé shortly after my fight with Roxas, wanting to know more about where I can find him again. However, I found out from her, and from Riku, that DiZ also brought people from another dimension; two in fact, and both were Keyblade wielders. Their names were Kirito and Asuna. They were to join Sora in his quest to stop Organization XIII. Well, I guess even I had to agree; things were getting out of hand…_

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><p><span><strong>After Sora, Kirito, Asuna and the rest of the crew left Twilight Town on the train…<strong>

Axel, Naminé and Riku-Ansem were up at the Sunset Terrace. Riku was looking down at Naminé, who was sitting on a bench, looking at her drawing book. Axel walked over to the wooden fence, leaning on it as he watched the heroes leave.

"Guess that's that." Axel stated, watching the train vanish in a flash of light, "Still, it's wild. Two more people from a different dimension also wield the Keyblade. Makes ya wonder how this will change the Organization's plans. Course, they've also added a new member to their ranks as well, and he's connected with those newcomers. It's hard to keep up with all this."

After a pause, Riku spoke up. "Let's go." he told the two Nobodies. "Go where?" Axel asked turning to Riku, "It's not like we have homes to return to. We don't exist, remember?" "Yes, it's true." Naminé agreed, "We may not have homes. But there IS someplace I want to go. And…someone I want to see." "Same here." Axel agreed.

There was another pause, then Axel looked to Riku. "So, you think you might let us go?" he asked, "I know you're here to get rid of us, but…" "DiZ? Wants to get rid of me?" Naminé asked, looking at Riku.

"Go." Riku told them. "You sure about this?" Axel asked. "I owe you both." Riku told them. "For what?" Naminé asked him. "Castle Oblivion. You helped us." Riku answered her. "Heh. You don't have to tell me twice." Axel chuckled, raising a hand up, producing a black portal. Axel watched as Riku and Naminé looked at one another, then Naminé bowed her head to him. "Thank you." she thanked him, getting off the bench and hurrying over to Axel's side.

Just as she stood next to him, Naminé turned to Riku. "There is one more thing I also need to do." she told him, "And…I think I need your help with it." "What's that?" Riku questioned. "It about those two Keyblade wielders DiZ brought over." Naminé explained, "Actually, there's suppose to be one more." "Another one?" Axel asked. "Yes." Naminé answered, "And this person has a strong connection with the two, especially the boy, Kirito. I believe she could help us."

Riku looked to Naminé for a second, then he nodded in confirmation. "Then let me swing you by the mansion." Axel told her, "Shouldn't be a problem to get the third wheel over here. We just use the same program that got those other two over here." Naminé nodded in agreement. "So what's this person's name?" Axel asked. "She has two different names." Naminé answered, "However, in the online world, her name is…Leafa." "I see." Axel understood, "Leafa. I got it memorized."

Naminé turned and left through the dark portal. Axel watched her leave, then walked through the portal himself, leaving Riku to watch them go.

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><p><em>Soon after, I saw Sora and those other two in Hollow Bastion. Like Roxas, something stirred in me as I saw him. Was it because Roxas was his Nobody? Apparently, Xemnas and the rest of the Organization thought so, and they were trying to bring out Roxas from Sora. No dice.<em>

_A few days later, I heard that Naminé brought that girl, Leafa over from the other side, along with some kid. I went to spy on her while she was in Twilight Town, and she is pretty unusual. She also became a Keyblade wielder, and from what I could hear, she was Kirito's sister. Couldn't see the family resemblance between those two guys._

_It's strange, but although I had never even met her before, she somehow gives off a similar vibe as Sora and Roxas. I assumed this was just some wild coincidence. How can a random person like this girl give off the same…feeling, like them? Maybe it's a different dimension thing._

_Some time after, I had heard of a new set of orders, ones involving Sora's close friend, Kairi. They said they were gonna kidnap her so as to feed Sora's rage so he can release more hearts for Kingdom Hearts. I had different plans; I wanted Kairi so I could see Roxas again. However, I knew Riku would warn Naminé of this situation, and that also mean that girl, Leafa, would come in._

_I went to pick Kairi up, along with a bunch of Dusks I brought along. I might have been a little to front to her, but I wanted to see Roxas that badly. Then Leafa showed up, with that boy who came with her, Recon. They led Kairi to safety with Riku as I had to fight Leafa and Recon instead. Those two were a bit of a hassle, I'll give them that…_

* * *

><p><span><strong>After Axel fought Leafa &amp; Recon<strong>

Axel walked through the Corridor of Darkness, following the path where Kairi might be at. He rubbed his right shoulder, feeling the pain from his battle with the two. "Gotta hand it to them; they are a couple of tough fighters." Axel muttered, "Even so, I can't let them keep Roxas away from me. I need Kairi to help me reach out to him."

Axel then thought of the fight he just endured, seeing Leafa's face, and the expression she shown. It was similar to the way Roxas looked when in a tough battle. Axel shook his head of the thought. "Just who is that girl? And why does she remind me of Roxas?" Axel asked himself.

* * *

><p><em>I found Kairi, along with a dog and three kids who were from Twilight Town. They tried to stop me, but I grabbed Kairi and left. As I left, Leafa suddenly appeared, and she entered the Corridor of Darkness, along with that dog. She wasn't gonna give up without a fight. Another quality she and Roxas had.<em>

* * *

><p><span><strong>Leafa attempted to save Kairi from Axel<strong>

"Listen," Leafa growled, "I don't know how Kairi is gonna find this Roxas character, but if you want to find him, go look for him yourself!" She took a charge at Axel, ready to circle around him and to hit him from behind, so as not to hurt Kairi. Axel, however, had other idea. He waved his hand in front of him, and a black portal opened up in front of him, blocking Leafa's path. Leafa gasped, and tried to stop, but she stumbled and fell through the portal. The portal closed up, leaving Axel, Kairi and Pluto left in the Corridor of Darkness.

"Now, come Kairi." Axel said, yanking her hand as he opened up another portal, "Time you help me find Roxas again." Kairi struggled as she was dragged in, Pluto bounding from behind.

As he did so, he couldn't help but hear Leafa's outburst from a distance, being unable to stop him. For some reason, it made him feel hurt, deep inside. Why would it? He doesn't have a heart. Then again, Roxas made him feel the same as well. Was there a connection between Roxas and Leafa? Or was it a connection between Sora and Leafa? He wasn't sure.

"Will you let go of me already?!" Kairi demanded. Pluto chomped on Axel's leg, finally making Axel lose his grip on Kairi, who backed away from him. Axel felt the chomp marks on his leg, turning to Kairi with Pluto in front of her. "It's bad enough I had to get hurt from Leafa, but now I get bitten?!" Axel shouted, "Even though I don't have a heart, I'm really getting ticked off!"

Kairi and Axel glared at one another, then Axel sighed, "Whatever. You can walk on your own, but keep close. I don't want you to get lost here." Kairi looked puzzled as Axel turned and walked through the darkness. Kairi looked down at Pluto, and the two followed Axel.

For a while, neither one talked, then Axel started, "Guess you really are a Princess of Light. Most people would turn into Heartless if they stayed in this place." "And what about you?" Kairi asked. "Oh, it's thanks to this coat." Axel responded, picking at his black coat, "If I didn't have it on, I might disappear. I'm a Nobody, after all. We aren't even suppose to exist. But even so, there is one thing I want to do…"

"You said you were looking for someone named Roxas?" Kairi remembered, "Actually, I think I remember that name." Axel looked to her, surprised. "You do?" he asked. "Yeah, but it was only for a few seconds." Kairi replied, "But for some reason, when he spoke to me, I started to remember Sora. Why is that?"

"Roxas is Sora's Nobody." Axel answered, surprising Kairi, "During the time I was with him, he use to have dreams that made him see Sora's memories." "But what IS a Nobody?" Kairi asked. "Nobodies are the shells of their former selves. We don't have hearts, so we can't feel." Axel explained, "Although, we do have memories of what it was like to have a heart, so we try to act like we have one. Still, all we are doing is deceiving ourselves. Even so, Roxas was someone who somehow made me feel like I had one. The same goes for Sora. And now, for some odd reason, that girl, Leafa, is even giving me that same sort of feeling. I wonder why that is? Heh. Guess it doesn't really matter." "No…I guess it doesn't." Kairi agreed, but she felt sympathetic for Axel.

Just then, Axel got hit to the side by something, causing him to fly away from Kairi. "Axel!" cried Kairi, watching him fall to the ground. Then two Berserker Nobodies appeared, grabbing each of Kairi's arms, restraining her. Axel got to his feet again, moaning. Saïx was standing there, his claymore in position.

"I cannot let you interfere, Axel. Your memories of your 'friend' have become a nuisance to us." he told the fallen fighter, "As of right now, you have turned traitor on the Organization. And you shall be dealt as such." Axel growled as he backed away from Saïx. He knew he wouldn't be able to win against him.

"Kairi, don't listen to this man." Saïx told her, "His only intention is to turn Sora into a Heartless." "That's a lie!" Kairi shouted, looking at Axel, "You weren't intending to do that, were you?" Axel paused as he looked at her with an expression of sympathy. "Sorry, Kairi." he said, opening up a portal and disappearing into it. Kairi watched him leave, trying to release herself from the Nobodies holding onto her.

* * *

><p><em>I had no choice but to flee. Saïx was too powerful, and as for what he was saying? It was partly true. I wanted to see Roxas so bad, that I might have done something like that. I couldn't tell what to do. I didn't know what was right or wrong, anymore. I wanted to see Roxas so much, but after looking at Kairi, I feel like I shouldn't do it. 'I feel'. Why am I expressing that? I don't have a heart, right? I had that memorized ever since I became a Nobody.<em>

_I decided to lay low, hide away from the Organization. I mainly spent my time, working with Naminé. She and Riku seem to want to protect Sora, along with Kirito, Asuna and Leafa. I mainly wanted to know why I had a reaction to Leafa._

_I guess, the next big thing that happened was that Heartless siege that the Organization brought down upon Hollow Bastion. The main goal behind that was to get the Keyblade wielders to slay as many Heartless as possible with their Keyblades. The plan worked to perfection. Those four Keyblade wielders, along with their king of theirs, took out the Heartless, releasing a ton of hearts for the Organization. And since they counted me as a traitor, I don't think they were gonna share Kingdom Hearts with me. So what did I do? I decided to go and chat with Sora's little friends._

_The chat was short lived. I did get to meet them, and Leafa was there, too. She wasn't too pleased to see me after what happened in Twilight Town. She had gotten stronger, I'll give her that. I wanted to apologize about Kairi, but Saïx showed up before I could speak, and I had to flee._

_I spent a little while hiding, thinking about my next plan. I couldn't go back to the Organization. I wasn't planning to hide from them forever. So, once the battle at Hollow Bastion was done, I went back to meet with Leafa and Recon again. They may hate me, but I had to at least talk to them…_

* * *

><p><span><strong>Shortly after Sora, Asuna and Kirito's team left Hollow Bastion<strong>

Leafa and Recon were taking down a few straggling Heartless that were attacking the town. Recon placed his dagger away and turned to Leafa, who was sort of depressed. She had been holding back a bit against the Heartless since the war.

"You okay, Leafa?" Recon asked. "I'm not sure." Leafa replied, shaking her head, "Since we found out that the Organization WANTS us to destroy the Heartless with our Keyblades, I can't help but feel like we're doing something wrong here. I know the Heartless are doing horrible things, but we'll end up helping the Organization, instead."

"Seems like a no-win situation, doesn't it?" Axel's voice spoke up. The two were startled, and turned to see Axel appear out of a black portal. "You again?!" Recon gasped. "Axel, you…!" Leafa started, ready to fight him. "Relax. I'm not picking a fight with you." Axel stopped her, "The Organization considers me a traitor, so I'm no longer part of their group."

"Then why come back here?" Leafa demanded, "You're no friend of ours!" "That's true. You guys don't like me that much." Axel agreed, "That being said, I am trying to help you guys out." "How are you doing that?" Recon asked, confused. "Who was the one who hinted you on Organization XIII's goal before?" Axel asked. Leafa and Recon looked to one another. It was Axel who said that.

"But what about Kairi?" Leafa asked, "You were the one who kidnapped her." "I did, but Saïx took her away from me before I could do anything with her." "You said you were using her to find Roxas." Leafa recalled, "But, Roxas is already reunited with Sora. But you knew that, didn't you?"

"Ah, looks like someone's got that memorized." Axel stated, "You're right. Sora and Roxas are one now. I was hoping to see him again using Kairi. At first, I was hoping to turn Sora into a Heartless so his Nobody would appear. But that didn't work out as I hoped." "You still planning on doing that?" Leafa asked sternly. "Nah. I'd rather not do that." Axel chuckled.

"Why do you want to see Roxas so badly?" Recon asked. "Because he's my friend." Axel replied. "I didn't know Nobodies actually had friends." Leafa stated. "Just because we don't have hearts, doesn't mean we can't make friends." Axel retorted, "I mean, you guys an Naminé are friends, right?" Axel did have a point there. "Roxas was the only person who made me feel like I had a heart." Axel continued, "He was the only one who made me feel like I was…somebody. Pretty weird, right?" Leafa and Recon looked surprised at this. Roxas was that kind of friend to Axel?

"Anyways, I'd better get going before the Organization finds me again." Axel told the two, raising a hand to open another black portal, "I'll keep in touch with you guys if anything important happens. In the meantime, I'll stay out of sight." Axel turned and started to walk to the portal.

"Wait!" Leafa stopped him. Axel halted in his tracks. "You still didn't answer my question before; Why help us?" Leafa asked, "What are you getting out of it?" "Nothing, really." Axel replied, turning to look at her, "Let's just say that you and Sora give off the same vibe." Leafa looked confused as Axel turned and exited into the Corridor of Darkness.

* * *

><p><em>So, when we got word that Organization XIII brought a digital world over from that other dimension into this one, I decided to take a chance. They were trying to enrage those other three Keyblade wielders into destroying more Heartless by setting them onto their world. I snuck into the stronghold, and discovered how to return that world to where it was. Now all that was left was to give the information…<em>

* * *

><p><span><strong>Shortly after Kirito, Asuna and company arrived in Aincrad<strong>

Leafa and Recon were rushing over to Ansem's computer lab. They had just reached the bailey when a black portal opened in front of them. The two immediately pulled out their weapons in response. Axel stepped out, seeing the two in front of him.

"Axel!" Leafa realized, lowering her fighter's stance. "I see you guys are in a big rush." Axel noticed, "Guess you figured out your online world is in big trouble. What was it's name? Aincrad? Hate to break it to ya, but you won't be able to find anything where you're going."

"Are you trying to mock us?!" Leafa demanded in a harsh tone, "If you are, then you have another thing coming!" "Hey, ease up a little bit!" Axel raised his hands in defense, "I actually came here with some info. I know how to bring your world back home." Leafa and Recon were surprised at this bit of info.

"How do you know this?" Recon asked, "You said you were no longer part of the Organization." "True, but I know my way around the stronghold." Axel corrected him, "I found the computer room, and how Gouxus even brought it here. It's all thanks to a dark orb of energy he planted within that world. It's also attracting the Heartless there as well, so you better hurry up and destroy it."

"Where is this dark orb?" Leafa asked. "Hell if I know." Axel replied, "But if I recall, the information did say something about being in a place where Kirito and Asuna left from." "The dungeon on floor 57!" Recon recalled. Leafa looked to Axel, wondering if his info was to be trusted.

Finally, Leafa said, "Okay, we're counting on your information. But don't get the wrong idea. I'm still not 100% sure you can be trusted." "Suit yourself." Axel replied, opening up a black portal, "I'll just drop you off over there so you can get the job done." Leafa and Recon watched as Axel walked into the portal. They looked to one another, then followed Axel into the portal as well.

* * *

><p><em>I did what I said, and dropped off those two at their world. Afterwards, I told Naminé to go pick them up again. Later on, I heard that their world had returned back home. It doesn't seem too bad to help those guys out once in a while. I felt like I should do more for them. I had to figure out what, though…<em>

* * *

><p><span><strong>After Kirito fought against Sephiroth<strong>

Leafa and Recon were walking through the streets, carrying groceries for the Moonlit Black Cats. "Hope we got everything for them." Recon started. "I'm sure we did." Leafa replied, "We got supplies for Asuna, and necessities for Keita, Sachi and the others. They have been working hard on repairing Tron's world and Radiant Garden. How about we also get them some ice cream as well?" "Our favorite flavor?" Recon asked. Leafa nodded in agreement.

"Hey, you two." called out a familiar voice from behind them. They turned to see Axel appearing out of a portal, coming towards the two. "Axel!" Leafa gasped. "Looks like this place is a little more lively." Axel noticed, looking about, "Don't remember so many people living here. Twilight Town was just the same. From what I heard, Sora, Kirito and Asuna's little group brought them about."

"You upset?" Recon asked. "Nah. Feels a little bit better, just like back in the day…" Axel replied, crossing his arms.

There was a moment of silence between them, then Axel unfolded his arms and grabbed something from behind him. "Here, I gotcha something." he said, and he pulled out a grocery bag, within containing three wrapped sea-salt ice cream bars. "Sea-Salt!" Recon noticed. Axel pulled all three out, and handed one to Leafa and Recon. He saved the last one for himself as he leaned backed against the wall near them. He took a bite out of his ice cream. Leafa and Recon did the same.

"Roxas and I use to eat these together." Axel told them, drawing their attention, "Back in Twilight Town, on top of the clock tower. It was our 'after mission snack' when we use to work for the Organization." "Yeah. we did the same thing with Hayner, Pence and Olette before we moved here." Leafa stated, "Being up there, looking out into the world. Kinda like how we flew around ALFheim."

The trio remained silent for a while, eating their snack. Then Axel spoke up again, "You know, back when I was somebody, this use to be my hometown." This bit of news surprised the two. "You mean, you remember that?" Recon asked. "Sure. Us, Nobodies, actually can remember bits and pieces of our past." Axel explained, "I even memorized my name back then."

"You mean your name isn't Axel?" Recon asked him. "That's just my name as a Nobody." Axel replied. "Well, what was your name when you were 'somebody'?" Leafa asked. Axel looked up, thinking. "My old name… was Lea." Axel replied, then pointed to his brain, "Got it memorized?" Leafa saw the grin on Axel's face, and couldn't help but smile in response. This side of Axel was a bit better than before.

"Hey, check it out!" Recon exclaimed, holding his empty stick. On it were the words 'Winner'. "Hey, what do you know. You got a winner stick." Axel noticed, "You know, if you collect twenty of those, you can get a prize for it." "What's the prize?" Recon asked in interest. "Dunno." Axel shrugged, "Must be something good."

After they finished their ice cream, Leafa started, "So what do you plan to do now, Axel?" "That's the big question." Axel replied, "To be honest, I have no idea. Can't go back to the Organization again. Figure I just keep running, hoping I could find Roxas again." "He's that important to you, is he?" Leafa asked, "Chasing after someone close… Kinda reminds me of me chasing after Kirito a lot."

"Guess we have something in common." Axel stated, "So, got any suggestions on what to do next?" Leafa and Recon paused, thinking on the suggestion, then Recon made a noise. "You could try finding Kairi for us?" he suggested, "Sora is looking for her. If she is safe, then Sora won't have to worry about her so much."

Axel paused, thinking about the plan of action. "You don't think you can do it?" Leafa asked. "Sure I can. It's just that reaching her will be tricky. The prison where she is being kept at is protected by Saïx and his Nobodies. I know he is too much for me to take on single-handedly." Leafa and Recon looked to one another, wondering how tough Saïx was.

"Tell you what, I'll go on ahead and tell Naminé about this." Axel informed them, "After that, I'll get a head start, then you guys come to back me up. Sound good?" "Great!" Recon answered excitedly. "Thanks, Axel." Leafa thanked him, "You know, you're alright for a Nobody." Axel smirked at this comment.

"Let's head back to Twilight Town, first." Leafa decided, "I'll leave a letter for my brother, Asuna and Yui." she turned to Axel, "I probably shouldn't tell them about you, yet. That might give off the wrong impression." Axel waved a hand, opening up a portal to the Corridor of Darkness. "I'll have Naminé pick you guys up." he told them, "Don't leave me hanging."

Axel was about to step through when Leafa said, "Wait." Axel stopped and turned to her. "Just…try not to get into too much trouble." she told him, "And whatever happens, we'll be there to help you out." Leafa poked at the side of her head as she quoted, "Got it memorized?" Axel chuckled at this, seeing her taking a leaf out of his book. "Yeah, I gotcha." he replied, and he walked through the portal and disappeared.

* * *

><p><em>I finally decided on a plan of action; I had to find Kairi and bring her back to Sora and his friends. I'm not planning to use her to find Roxas now. The Organization considers me a traitor, so I'm gonna do the one thing a traitor should do; mess things up for them a little more.<em>

* * *

><p><span><strong>As Leafa and Riku's group arrived in the digital Twilight Town<strong>

Kairi and Pluto were sitting inside the cell, quiet and calm. Outside of their cell, two Berserker Nobodies were standing on either side of the cell. Kairi looked to the two Nobodies. _How am I gonna get outta here?_ she thought to herself. Pluto whined a little, and Kairi petted him. "Don't worry." she assured the dog, "Sora and Riku will find me. I know they will."

Just then, a flaming chakram flew out from the side of the hallway, taking down both Berserkers in one shot. This started Kairi, making her raise to her feet and rush to the bars. "Sorry if I'm neither." said Axel, appearing before her, "And sorry for causing so much trouble." "It's you!" gasped Kairi. "Cool off. I'm here to get you outta here." Axel told her.

"Are you here to capture me again?!" Kairi demanded, "Cause if you are, you have another thing coming!" Pluto was growling at her side. "Guess you can't trust me, can you?" Axel assumed, "Can't be helped, though, after what happened." He then remembered Sora and Leafa's faces, demanding for Kairi's return. "But… I've decided. I'm bringing you back to Sora." he finished, surprising Kairi.

"You really did come crawling back, Axel." said a voice from behind Axel. He looked shocked, then turned to see Saïx there, calmly looking back at him. "I've been waiting for you." he told Axel, producing his claymore, "I hope you are prepared this time." Axel huffed, then produced his second chakram, and the two engaged in combat.

Kairi and Pluto watched as the two went at it. It was clear Saïx was a more powerful combatant. He struck Axel hard, and he doubled back. "Do you really thing you can win against me?!" Saïx demanded. "Axel!" Kairi called out.

Saïx called upon the moon's power, and entered his Rage mode, making it even more difficult for Axel. The flaming fighter had to avoid his attacks as best as he could, then he saw a weakpoint, and struck Saïx at his neck, pinning him to the ground. This made Saïx go unconscious.

Axel turned to Kairi, who was stunned at the fight. "You hurt, Kairi?" he asked. "N-No. I'm fine." Kairi replied. "Thank goodness." Axel smiled. He started to walk towards the prison cell when Saïx instantly woke up and struck Axel on the side of his waist, knocking him to the ground. This produced a rip in his coat, and black vapor was seeping out. Kairi gasped in shock.

"It's sweet, isn't it?" Saïx asked through his Rage mode, "You and I are quite different after all…" Axel got to his feet again, raising one hand to produce a portal. "You're not getting away again!" Saïx roared, racing at Axel. He raised his other hand, producing a wall of flames, stopping Saïx. "AXEEEEL!" shouted Saïx.

"Wait, don't go!" shouted Kairi, raising a hand to Axel. "Don't worry. I'll get you outta here! I promise!" he told her, and he stepped through the portal and disappeared.

The next second, he appeared in the town of the World that Never Was. He grasped his side, feeling the pain of the attack. He looked at the black vapor seeping out of his cloak. "Not yet…" he moaned, "I can't fade just yet…"

"Axel!" gasped a voice. He looked up to see Naminé, Ansem-Riku, and Recon racing towards him. "What happened?" Recon asked, "I thought you were going to save Kairi!" "I was, but…" Axel replied, then he looked down at his injury. "Axel, you've been wounded!" gasped Naminé. "It's nothing." Axel lied, looking at the trio, "Where's Leafa?" "She hasn't made it here yet." Riku replied, "She must be hung up by the Nobodies and Heartless."

I'll go get her." Axel decided, "She said she would back me up, so I should do the same for her!" And with that, he raced into the dark city, leaving the trio behind to watch him leave. "He's determined to find Leafa?" Riku asked. "Course he is." Recon replied, "After all, he and Leafa are friends."

* * *

><p><span><strong>As Sora, Kirito and Asuna's arrived at the Digital Twilight Town<strong>

…Leafa was about to take off when a group of Dusks suddenly appeared around her. "Back for more, I suppose?" she asked amusingly, whipping her Keyblade out. A Dusk came at her, but she jumped into the air, and performed a downward slash onto it. Two more flew up to meet her, but she spun around with her weapon, destroying the two. She then produced her wings and started murmuring an incantation. She activated her 'Wind Needles' Magic Spell, and the scattering rain of needles showered down on the remaining Nobodies, destroying them.

She landed on the ground in the middle of the wreckage she made, looking around. "Guess it's not safe anywhere." she said, "I should find Riku, Naminé and Recon." She made a few steps forward before someone called out to her. "Hey, Leafa. Fancy meeting you hear." She turned and saw Axel behind her. "It's you again!" she gasped, seeing him before her.

"Thought you came to back ME up?" Axel asked, walking forward. "Where's Kairi?" Leafa asked, then she saw the wound, and gasped, "What happened?!" "Saïx." he replied, looking at it, "Can't believe he would go this far to hurt me. To think we use to be friends…"

Leafa looked at Axel, and saw the look of depression on his face. Even though he didn't have a heart, Leafa felt Axel's feelings of regret. "For someone who doesn't have a heart, you sure can feel something." she told him, "It seems to be the same with Naminé. Makes me think maybe there are Nobodies out there who do HAVE hearts. I mean, you need hearts to feel, and you feel like you let us down, didn't you?"

Axel looked at her with confusion, then he tapped the spot where his heart should be. Something, besides Leafa's words told him that she was right. Deep down, he felt like he let Kairi, Leafa, Sora, and everyone else down. Does that kind of emotion feel like this? "Well, don't worry about a thing." Leafa told him, "We'll get Kairi back, I know we will!" Axel looked at her, and felt he could believe in her words.

Just then, both of them felt something; a reaction that told them someone close was in trouble. "Brother!" gasped Leafa. "Roxas!" followed Axel. The two looked to one another, then looked to the area where the portal to the digital Twilight Town was at. "Let's go aid them!" she told Axel. "Sounds good to me." Axel replied, "If I can't find Roxas, then I might as well help his somebody." The two raced towards the edge of the skyscraper and jumped off, racing towards their friends.

* * *

><p><em>We arrived within the Corridor of Darkness, where we saw Sora and his buddies in a tight spot against the swarm of Nobodies. Leafa and I came to their aid, and we started to take them down, one after another. That's when I did it…<em>

* * *

><p><span><strong>In the Corridor of Darkness to TWTNW (Straight from SAK Ep. 28)<strong>

… After a while, they were surrounded by hundreds of Dusks. Sora, Leafa and Axel jumped back to back with each other. "I think I liked it better when they were on my side." Axel stated sarcastically. "Aw, are you starting to miss the Organization?" sassed Leafa. "Feeling a little…regret?" taunted Sora. Axel turned to the two with a smirk. "Nah…I can handle these punks." he retorted, "Heh…watch this!"

He jumped away from them and into an open space within the swarm of Nobodies. His chakrams started to float on their own and spin around him as they and him both lit on fire. Axel mustered up all the power he could produce, and unleashed a fiery storm that blinded everyone. When the fire cleared, Sora and Leafa unshielded their eyes and looked around. Not a single trace of the Nobodies remained around them. Donald, Goofy, Kirito and Asuna all looked around, surprised. "Woah!" gasped Sora and Leafa in unison.

They turned to where Axel was at, only to see him on his back, the flames dying away, and smoke coming off of his body. However, this wasn't the normal fire smoke. Sora and Leafa dashed to Axel's side and saw what was happening to his body. "You're…fading away…" Sora noticed. "Well, that's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack. You know what I mean?" Axel replied, "Not that Nobodies actually HAVE beings…right?" "You…didn't have to sacrifice yourself like this." Leafa said, startled at what he had done, "Why? Why go so far?!" "I don't know." Axel replied, turning his head to Leafa, "I guess…I just wanted to show off to you guys. Plus, I know you can do a better job at stopping the Organization than I could." Leafa looked sadly at Axel. They may have been enemies and rivals, but in time, Leafa started to respect Axel a lot more as time went by.

"Anyway, I digress." Axel stated, looking to the both of them, "Go, find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot… Sorry for what I did to her." "When we find her, you can tell her that yourself." Sora told him. "Think I'll pass." Axel replied, turning his head away from them, "My heart just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one." He chuckled at this last statement. "Axel, what were you trying to do?" Sora asked him. "I wanted to see Roxas." Axel responded, surprising Sora and Leafa, "He…was the only one I liked… He made me feel…like I had a heart. It's kind of…funny…" He turned to the two of them. "You two make me feel…the same…" Leafa blushed at this, but then saw Axel's face get serious. "Kairi's in the castle dungeon." Axel finished, "Now go!" He shakily raised one of his hands, and activated a portal for them. His hand then flopped to the ground as his body started to fade at a faster pace. "Axel…" Sora mumbled, seeing him go. "Goodbye…friend…" said Leafa, as Axel finally disappeared from view.

* * *

><p><em>And that was it. Just like that, I vanished. Sora and Leafa were next to me, so at least I disappeared with friends at my side. But as I left, I gave my flames to both of them, hoping they would use them against the Organization. At least something to say I existed, even as a Nobody…<em>

* * *

><p><span><strong>After Sora defeated Roxas<strong>

Axel was on top of the clock tower in Twilight Town, standing on the edge of the building. Roxas was curled up next to him, apparently asleep, his legs dangling over the edge. He was thinking about all that he had been through, mainly about when he met Leafa, and what he and her have been through.

He then noticed Roxas stir. "Look who's finally awake?" Axel stated. Roxas bolted his head up, then turned to look at who spoke to him. "Axel!" gasped Roxas. Axel thought about what he said, then added, "Or, maybe I have it wrong. Might be time for us to sleep. Soon, we won't be able to talk like this, anymore." Roxas looked down at his feet, wondering. "Does that mean…" he started, "It's time for me to go back where I belong?"

Axel sat down next to Roxas as he said, "You know, I've been thinking about something Naminé said. Roxas…" he looked to his friend, "…are you really sure you don't have a heart? Is it possible we all have one? You? Me? Her? Or is that just wishful thinking?"

"I don't know." Roxas replied, shaking his head, "I can't just look inside." "Yeah, I guess not…" sighed Axel. "But I figure, if there is something in there, inside us, then we feel it, wouldn't we?" Roxas asked, "And if so… No, never mind." "Come on." Axel urged him, "Don't leave me hangin'."

There was a pause, then Roxas smiled as he said, "Sora will find the answer we're looking for. I know he will. Because he's me."

Axel looked to him, then said, "True enough, but it isn't just Sora, but maybe Leafa as well." "Leafa?" Roxas questioned. "That's right, you two never met face to face." Axel remembered, "Let's just say you, Sora and Leafa all give off the same feeling…" He touched his heart, "Like I had a heart." Roxas looked at Axel, then looked up. "Just like Sora…" he muttered, "Wish I met her."

"You might get a chance to see her again." Axel told Roxas, "But I have to warn ya; Her personality like the wind, Strong and free. And with the fire I gave her, those two elements should make one heck of a storm." Roxas chuckled at this, with Axel following with.

Axel then pulled out a pair of sea-salt ice cream bars, and handed one to Roxas. "Thanks." Axel thanked him, and he took it. The two chomped a bit on their ice cream before Axel continued, "Man, I miss the old times. Still got it memorized? The day we met, and you got your new name, you and I sat right here, and watched the sunset."

Roxas looked out into Twilight Town, towards the setting sun. "Yeah. This place is home." Roxas agreed, "Me, Hayner, Pence, Olette. We've shared a lot of adventures." "You'll see them again." Axel assured him, "I know you will. Then, you can meet Leafa. I saw she was hanging out with them when she was here. Then, you can make a new friend, just like I did." "Yeah…you're right." Roxas agreed.

There was another pause, then Roxas said, "Well, I should go. Sora's waitin' for me." "Yeah, I suppose he is." Axel sighed, taking a bite out of his ice cream bar, "Man, this is some good ice cream, huh?" Roxas started to shine brightly as he turned to Axel. "Take care, okay?" he asked. Axel also started to shine brightly as he smiled back at his friend. "Right back at ya, buddy." he replied. A tear fell from Axel's eye, which dripped onto the railing they were sitting on. It sparkled, and vanished into the light.

As Leafa and Naminé walked through the Corridor of Darkness towards Kairi, Leafa stopped, feeling something in her heart. It surprised her, but it was a sad feeling. Her eyes even became teary. "What's the matter?" Naminé asked, seeing Leafa's expression. "N-Nothing." Leafa replied, wiping away the tears, "Don't know where that came from." Once she dried her tears, she looked sternly ahead. "Come on, we have to save Kairi. For Sora and Axel's sake." Naminé smiled and nodded, then she walked along the path.

Leafa looked up, thinking. _I hope to see you again, Axel._ she thought to herself, _Maybe when we meet again, I hope you have the heart to understand how much you consider me as a friend._ Leafa shook her head, putting the thoughts in the back of her head. Kairi's rescue came first. She raced after Naminé, ready to bring down the Organization.


	3. Asuna's New Stage! Friends Across Worlds

**Okay, it's official; I will not do this in a chronological order. I have all the stories picked, but I just feel like writing the ones that come to me at the time. This one takes place after the events of SAKII: Dimensional Bonds, and it is basically the last episode if going by chronological order. Still, I hope you guys enjoy it. Here it is, the last episode, or the second uploaded episode.**

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><p><em>(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)<em>

**Chapter 1: The Return of Cure Soul**

Yokohama. A beautiful city in the middle of Japan. It also sets the stage for a group of friends in a certain world, who's home cities seem to border nearby Yokohama. Many tourists and travelers around Japan would often visit this city for its' scenery and the rare shops you could find.

In the alleyway of a nearby city street, a large, bright Keyhole suddenly bursted out of nowhere. No one from the outside noticed it appear, nor did they see the two people who seem to pop out of the Keyhole. Asuna Yuuki, along with her daughter, Yui, landed neatly on the ground, looking around at their scenery. Both of them were wearing the same clothes as they did in their last journey around their dimension.

"Is this the place?" Asuna asked. "It seems to be the case." Yui replied, "If what Mrs. Gretinal said was true, we should have arrived in the right world." Asuna saw the end of the alleyway, and walked out with Yui at her side, arriving on the busy streets of Yokohama. "It's a lot different from Kanon Town." Asuna pointed out, "I just hope we can find our friends here without too much trouble." She wondered what kind of situation she got herself involved in when Keyblade Master Gretinal called her just a little while ago…

_(Cue Opening Song 'Let's Wondering')_

(Flashback) During the next few months, Kirito, Asuna, Leafa and Yui all trained hard for the tasks that Gretinal warned them about ever since they sent Sora, his friends, and the entire world of Disney Castle back to its' dimension again. She explained to them that she needed to converse with King Mickey's master, Yen Sid, on how to deal with the situations in the future. She said that Kirito, Asuna and Leafa would have to take a test in order to prove themselves as true Keyblade Masters. In the meantime, they had to prepare themselves for that test.

The heroes, realizing that Kirito's dojo wasn't gonna cut it for their practice, found an abandoned lot surrounded by a large concrete wall to practice without being noticed. The only people who knew of their practicing were Asuna and Kirito's parents, Ryoutarou, Andrew, Keiko, Rika, Shino, Nurse Aki and Seijirou. The last name was hard to convince to keep the Keyblade wielder thing a secret, since it was better he, nor the rest of the company he owns to know about the whole situation. Gretinal was a big influence as well, since she threatened to erase his memories of it. It was unknown if she had the power or not.

After one of the days of practice, Kirito, Asuna, Leafa and Yui were cleaning up all the damage they had done around the open lot. Asuna had finally perfected one of her Sword Skills she had been trying to do in her normal form, and was greatly relieved.

"Should we call it a day?" Leafa asked, wiping her head with a towel, "I'm sorta beat from that training. Plus, I still need to finish my homework before the end of the week." "Yeah, and I need to finish that new program for my project at school." Kirito added. "For that mecha-tonics class, right?" Leafa asked. "Mechatronics." Kirito corrected her. Asuna giggled a bit at the error on how she phrased the name.

"I'll take Yui back with me to my house tonight." Asuna told Kirito, "Once I'm done with my homework, I'll tell you when Yui and I are logging into ALO." "Okay." Kirito replied, "I'll be in touch with you if anything happens." The four exited the lot, and Yui and Asuna parted ways with Kirito and Leafa, going to their individual homes.

After a couple blocks, Asuna asked, "Hey, Yui. Want to help out with my homework tonight so we can beat Kirito to ALO?" "Mm-hm!" Yui answered, "We can make Kirito a big meal back at our house!" Asuna laughed in agreement.

Having Yui in the real world seem to brighten both Asuna and Kirito's lives. They exchanged Yui to go to each of their homes, promising that one day, when they had the money, they could afford a house to live in all together. In ALO, Yui was actually quite a good fighter as a Pooka race, with some of her Navigation Pixie skills still intact, allowing her to analyze the enemies attack patterns faster than anyone else.

As they walked, something started to glow in Asuna's pocket. She felt the glow of energy, and pulled out a crystal orb that was given to her by Gretinal before she left. Both Kirito and her had one. Gretinal's face appeared in the crystal. "Mrs. Gretinal!" Asuna greeted in surprise. Yui stood next to her, looking up at Gretinal's face.

"Hello there, Asuna." Gretinal replied, "I've called you for something that was made for you to be part of. You don't have to take it, but you might learn something from the experience." "I'm ready for anything that should come my way." Asuna told her. "I'm coming with mama, too!" Yui added.

"Very well then." Gretinal understood, "I want you to head over to the Pretty Cure world in a place called Yokohama." "The Pretty Cure world?" Asuna echoed. "Yes." Gretinal replied, "I feel that an enemy might appear in front of the Pretty Cures, and that you should help them in their fight." "Is it a Heartless? Or an Unversed?" Asuna asked. "Neither." Gretinal replied, "The enemy is not foreign to their world."

"If that's the case, then why should I go there?" Asuna asked, "I'm not from their world. I shouldn't meddle with the world's affair unless it involves those creatures." "For a standard Keyblade wielder, you are correct." Gretinal agreed, "However, you also possess the soul of a Pretty Cure. That power is unique that you can be involved with that world's affair. The Precure Soul is one of the few Soul Drives that allow you to join in to those situations."

"Okay, so how do I get over there?" Asuna asked, "The worlds are separated again after Oberon's defeat." "Fortunately, you can still make it there via Keyholes of Bonds." Gretinal explained, "Since you were one of the people who sealed the Keyholes in this dimension, they act as a sort of passageway for you between the worlds you sealed. It was just like how you summoned your friends to the battlefield in the final battle against Oberon."

Asuna pondered on the idea, then said, "Okay, I'll go. But just in case, I'd better grab my homework if I have the spare time. I can't afford to lose any time without doing it." Gretinal smiled and nodded in agreement. "That is true. You still have your duties in your own world as well." Gretinal agreed. Asuna sighed. Keyblade wielder duties, homework, and training. She can barely have the time to settle down now.

"Be safe, Asuna, Yui." Gretinal told them. "Same to you, Mrs. Gretinal." Yui replied. "I'll be off soon." Asuna told her, and Gretinal's face disappeared on the crystal orb as its' light faded. "We'd better tell my parents what is happening before we leave." Asuna told Yui, "Let's hurry." "Right. I'll tell papa and Leafa about where we're going as well." Yui added. And with that, the two set out to Asuna's home. (Flashback Ends)

Yui had a backpack on with Asuna's things for homework. Their special garments did make them stick out a bit, which was why they had on long-sleeved jackets over their upper halves so as not to be noticed as much. They looked around at the city. It was very nice. "So where too, next?" Asuna asked, looking about. "We should find Hibiki, Kanade, Ellen and Hummy." Yui answered, "If was Mrs. Gretinal said was true, they should be around her, right?"

Just then, the two heard a familiar voice aways from them. "Asuna! Yui!" The two turned to see three girls racing up to them. It was Cure Black, Cure White and Shiny Luminous, only they looked like they were in civilian clothes, or rather, they weren't in their Pretty Cure attire. They had never seen them out of their Pretty Cure attire before, so it took them a few seconds before realizing who it was.

"It's you three!" Asuna realized when they came close, "Black! White! Lumi-!" Black made a noise to stop her in mid-scentence. "That whole Pretty Cure thing is suppose to be a secret!" Black told her, "Call us by our regular names. I'm Nagisa. White is Honoka, and Luminous is Hikari." "Sorry about that." Asuna apologized.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Honoka asked curiously. "I heard from someone that you guys might need an extra bit of help." Asuna explained, "Since I do have the soul of a Pretty Cure, I am able to help you guys out here." "Has there been any trouble here?" Yui asked.

The three young girls looked at one another before Honoka replied, "Well, we did hear of a rumor that an old enemy is returning to Yokohama again." "If you arrived to help, maybe that rumor is true." Nagisa stated, looking at her friends, who grew concern.

Just then, the sky went from bright and blue to dark and eerie in an instant. This drew everyone's concern as they looked into the sky. "What happened?!" exclaimed a nearby man. "This must be…" Hikari started, then the three Pretty Cure girls looked at one another, nodding in confirmation. "Asuna, in here!" said Nagisa, pulling Asuna into the alleyway they came out of, with Yui right behind them.

Nagisa and Honoka pulled out a pair of cell phones, flipping them open. "Mepple!" Nagisa declared. "I'm ready to go, mepo!" a face in the cell phone replied. "Mipple!" Honoka added. "Okay, Honoka, mipo!" replied a different face. Hikari pulled out what looked like a small purse, opening it up to reveal another face in it. "Pollun!" she told it. "Here we go, popo!" The three girls looked to Asuna, who knew she had to transform as well. Asuna took off her jacket and Yui caught it as it fell.

Nagisa and Honoka grasped hands and raised their phones. "_Dual Aurora Wave!_" they shouted together. "_Luminous Shining Stream!_" Hikari shouted, her device emitting a sparkling of lights. Asuna concentrated, glowing a bright red. "_Precure Soul!_" she shouted, and she bursted with energy. Each of them entered their transformation process, turning into their Pretty Cure forms.

_"The Emissary of Light! Cure Black!"_

_"The Emissary of Light! Cure White!"_

_"Sparkling Life! Shiny Luminous!"_

_"Strumming to the Soul of my Beat! Cure Soul!"_

The four Pretty Cure, now in their forms and names, were ready to go. "Get onto my back, Yui." Soul told her. Yui hopped onto Asuna's back, and the four jumped high into the air, racing towards the ferris wheel off in the distance.

In the air, a voice boomed out to all of the city. "My name is Fusion." it said, "I shall destroy all and create a world of nothing but pitch-black void." This was followed by several explosions that appeared around the ground and in the water that split the city. This sent people into a panic.

Then out from two skyscrapers and out of the smoke came a gigantic tyrannosaurus rex-like beast, only it was made entirely of some sort of silver, metallic jelly-like material. It was emanating a mixture of red and dark red energy from its' mouth.

The beast, Fusion, saw all the people on the ground past the ferris wheel, gathered all the energy from its' mouth, and unleashed it into a fiery inferno at their direction. Everyone was too afraid to run from the attack, and they braced for the impact.

Suddenly, there was a barrier of rainbow lights from the ferris wheel, and it stopped the blast in its' tracks, diminishing it. Everyone wondered what stopped it until they saw, on most of the gondolas of the ferris wheel, stood a girl in a different set of uniforms. "There's someone up on the gondolas!" exclaimed a man. "Not just one. Five, ten… a lot of them!" gasped another man. "They are all girls!" a boy noticed. "Wait, are they…" a man realized. "It is! It has to be!" another man realized.

Underneath the ferris wheel, Soul had her Sisterly Tides Keyblade up, aiding in stopping the blast. She lowered her Keyblade and looked at Yui and the fairies next to her. They came in a variety of forms, and they were all shouting "You can do it!". "Soul, nya!" cried Hummy, who was part of the group. "Hummy!" Soul greeted the cat, "Take care of Yui for me. I'll join the others!" "You got it nya!" Hummy replied, and Soul jumped upwards.

"It's good to see you again, Hummy." Yui greeted the cat. "Wait, who is this girl?!" asked a ferret-like fairy. "She's Yui, nya!" Hummy replied, "She comes from a different world along with Cure Soul, nya!"

"I see." the ferret understood, "Good to meet ya. I'm Tarte, the mascot of the Fresh Pretty Cure. If you want to help, have this…" He held out a small pink stick with a special light on top of it. "What is this?" Yui asked, taking the stick. "It's called a Miracle Light." Tarte explained, "If ya wave it, it'll glow and give the Precure power!" Yui looked at it, then up at all the girls at the top part of the ferris wheel.

Soul flipped herself through the spokes of the ferris wheel, landing right next to the Suite Pretty Cure. "Hey, did you miss me?" she asked with a grin. Cure Melody, Rhythm and Beat turned to her, including another girl who was a few years younger, dressed in a yellow uniform and with long, twin-tailed, bright orange hair and magenta eyes. "Cure Soul!" exclaimed Melody and Rhythm in unison. "You came back to help!" Beat added happily. Soul looked to Beat, nodding in confirmation. The group then turned to see Fusion glaring at the girls from a distance. "Let's rock and roll, girls!" Soul declared.

_(Cue Pretty Cure Opening 'Eien no Tomodachi')_

At once, all of the girls jumped off the ferris wheel, flying over the water straight towards Fusion, who was ready to fight. From all around the city, the crowd of people started to cheer for the Pretty Cures. At this point, Soul looked around, seeing all of the girls. They were all Pretty Cure, coming in varieties of uniforms, faces and such. She remembered Melody saying there were over twenty known Pretty Cure in their world. Even so, it surprised to see so many around her. She guessed it took this much to take down this beast.

The Max Heart Pretty Cure led the assault as Fusion shot parts of its' body into streams at the group. The Pretty Cures started to knock them about, causing as much damage as they could. It then shot dark red blasts of energy from the top of its' snout and eyes, but two different groups of Pretty Cures blocked all the attacks, returning with blasts of energy in response, the the Suite Pretty Cure team, including Soul, leaped at each skyscraper, flying down around the scatter shots the beast delivered. They dove at the beast, striking it individually on the head.

The Pretty Cures were like little flies compared to the monstrous Fusion, and just as hard to hit as they kept peppering it all around its' body. Soul and Beat flew in together, shooting a Beat and Soul Sonic attack in unison, blasting the back of the beast before avoiding the tail.

They then joined the rest of the Suite Pretty Cure as Melody issued the command to all of the Pretty Cures to unleash one final blast. Each grouping of girls performed a powerful, unified attack, all striking Fusion. Soul unleashed her Finisher, Quartet Rondo, enveloping the beast in several Tone Rings before producing a barrier around her and igniting the rings. The combined attacks of all the Pretty Cure made Fusion dissolve and its' remnants scatter about all over the city, disappearing from view.

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 2: Search for Fusion Remnants<span>**

When they finished their final attack, the girls all landed onto the ground where Fusion was at. Soul finally got to see the group of Pretty Cures more closely. Their average age was about the same as Melody, Rhythm and Beat; about fourteen years old. Some of them were younger, others were a bit older.

"Alright! We took down Fusion!" declared the neon-blue-haired girl named Cure Marine, "Score one for us Pretty Cure!" "Don't relax just yet, Marine." warned the lavender-haired girl, who was closest to Soul's age, named Cure Moonlight, "Fusion was stopped, but it is far from defeated." "Its' remnants have been scattered about in the city." the pink-haired girl named Cure Passion explained, "We had better disperse and take the pieces out before they form together again." The other girls nodded in agreement.

"We should do that, but first…" The hot-pink-haired girl named Cure Dream started, and everyone looked to Soul, "Who are you? Are you a new Pretty Cure?" "Uh…" Soul started, noticing how much attention she was getting.

"This is Cure Soul." Melody introduced, "She's a friend from a different world, and she had helped us out some time ago." "She's very strong." Black added, "It was thanks to her and some of her friends that the entire dimension was saved." "Really?!" Marine asked incredulously. "It's very nice to meet all of you." Soul greeted them, bowing her head to them. The rest of the Pretty Cures all smiled and greeted her in response.

Once Soul got to meet all of the girls, they heard some outcries, and they looked up to see a large orange bird in the sky, carrying Yui, Hummy and the rest of the fairies. It landed near them and in a puff of smoke, turned into a small, duck-like fairy. "Mama!" Yui cried, racing in to hug Soul, who's body glowed and reverted back to normal again. Asuna knelt down to hug Yui as the rest of the fairies greeted their teams. Once everyone was together, they all decided to split up at that moment. Each team scattered to a different part of the city, leaving the Suite Pretty Cure team remaining.

Asuna looked up to see Melody, Rhythm, Beat and Hummy, plus the young orange-haired Pretty Cure that eyed her before. As Asuna found out, she was Cure Muse, and was another member of the Suite Pretty Cure team.

They all glowed brightly, returning back to their normal form. Cure Muse's regular look was short orange hair, orange eyes underneath a pair of glasses, a long-sleeved pink shirt underneath a pair of purple overall shorts, pink socks, and white and blue sport shoes.

"Glad you are here, Asuna." Hibiki told Asuna as she and Yui walked to them. "Hope you can bear with me." Asuna replied, looking to the new girl, "So who should I call you in this form?" "Just call me Ako." she replied, "I've actually seen you before. I spied on you when you were fighting the Negatones and those other creatures." "I see." Asuna understood, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Ako. Call me Asuna." "And my name is Yui!" greeted Yui, who looked about the same age as Ako.

"We shouldn't stand around here." Ellen told the group, "Let's go find Fusion." The group nodded and they took off into the city. Asuna wondered what she would learn from this experience. Hummy and the Fairy Tones had to leave for a meeting with the other fairies involving the Fusion incident.

They spent the rest of the morning, going into the early afternoon walking around the city, stopping to get some food at a burger joint. Asuna saw the news on the nearby tv, indicating their recent battle with Fusion. The news indicated that they had never seen these girls before, but indicated them as the legendary warriors, Precure. Asuna saw herself as Cure Soul flying around Fusion, with the moment of her and Beat working together.

"Looks like the Precure got real popular." Asuna pointed out, turning to the group, noticing Hibiki looking at the screen, and added, "Don't let it get to your head." "Who said I was gonna let it go to my head?" Hibiki asked in defense. "She may not look it, but Hibiki can be humble." Kanade told Asuna. "If she weren't so childish all the time…" Ako muttered before taking a sip of her soda. "You're the child here!" exclaimed Hibiki as everyone else laughed at Ako's comment.

Once they were done, they continued the search. Hummy and the rest of the Fairy Tones returned, explaining they were celebrating for their victory when a piece of Fusion attacked the fairies there. They somehow captured it, but they realized they shouldn't be celebrating just yet until all of the Fusion remnants were captured.

Hibiki somehow getting a little more desperate at finding the Fusion remnants. She pulled out a magnifying glass, had her knees bent as she slowly crouch-walked along the ground, looking through the magnifying glass. She was so concentrated at this point, a seagull stood on her head as she walked, and she wasn't bothered by it. It did, however, make her look more idiotic than before. "What does she hope to get out of this?" Asuna whispered to Kanade as they were crossing a large bridge. Kanade shrugged and shook her head, not sure.

Just then, they heard Hibiki chuckle a bit, and turned to watch her. "Run and hid all you want, but know that you leave a blatant and obvious trail in your wake! I've deduced that Fusion…" she stood and pointed to the side, "…is right there!" However, she wasn't pointing at a Fusion remnant, but Hummy and the Fairy Tones, who found three ears of corn on the cob, and were munching away at them. "Whoops…" Hibiki muttered, looking embarrassed at her mistake. The others were looking at her stupidity.

"I'm starting to think that Ako was right about her before." Yui sighed. "Hibiki…" Kanade moaned, "Do you really expect to find Fusion with that magnifying glass?" "Well, we're looking for tiny pieces of him, right?" Hibiki recalled, "I just, you know, didn't want to miss anything." "That's not the only thing you're missing…" Asuna said under her breath, looking at the seagull still perched on her head.

"Okay, that makes sense, but even so…" Ellen stated, and she imitated Hibiki going, "Is right there!" before saying, "You said that with a great degree of certainty." Hibiki laughed a bit before saying, "Well, I guess I thought maybe a bit of womanly intuition…" "You're not a woman yet." Asuna pointed out, "I'm a woman, and I don't rely on my intuition like that." "If only intuition really could save the day." Ako added.

Hibiki started to walk to the group as she said, "You never know…" When a girl with brown hair styled in pigtails, red scrunchies, and dressed in a school uniform bumped into Hibiki. Hibiki looked down to see she bumped into the girl's yellow-beaded bracelet as it spun around on her wrist. This caused the seagull to finally fly off of Hibiki's head.

The girl continued on ahead, shouting, "I'm very sorry!" before racing onward. Why she was running was obvious when another girl came racing between Hibiki and the group. She was a bit shorter, but about the same age as Hibiki. She had dark magenta hair, styled into cone-like rolls, held by yellow bows. Her attire was an assortment of pink clothing, including a hoodie, long-sleeved shirt, a skirt, white stockings and tennis shoes. She was also carrying a shoulder bag.

"Wait up!" shouted the girl, passing by the group as she ran after the brown-haired girl. Hibiki paused, then said, "Hey, wait for me, too!" and she ran off, with Hummy jumping into Hibiki's purse. "Hibiki!" cried Kanade. The brown-haired girl turned and was shocked to see two girls racing after her. "Come back!" Hibiki shouted after the girl. "What is she doing?!" Asuna asked. The rest of the group raced after Hibiki and the two girls.

As soon as they left the bridge, they saw Hibiki and the other two girls race off down the street ahead. As they were about to race after, Asuna noticed something. A piece of green slime suddenly appeared in front of their path, skipping along the path in front of them like a stream, going along the path to the right of them.

"Was that…?" Asuna gasped. "That was Fusion!" Ellen realized. "Quick we need to chase it down!" Asuna told them. "But what about Hibiki?" Kanade asked. "We can find Kanade later!" Asuna replied, "We can't let this piece of Fusion get away!" The four girls looked to one another, and understood what was more important. They chased after Fusion right behind Asuna.

Meanwhile, the brown haired girl, who's name was Ayumi, was continuously being chased by Hibiki and the dark-pink haired girl, who's name was Miyuki. Ayumi was close to tears out of exasperation. Miyuki was panting heavily. Hibiki, who was mostly athletic, took a great dash, ran past Ayumi, and stopped in front with her arms stretched out.

"Now you just hold it!" she shouted. Ayumi stopped, but Miyuki had a hard time stopping. "Get out of the way!" Miyuki cried, stumbling at Hibiki, who saw her coming. Time seem to slow down as the two eyes met, realizing who they were running with before. Then Miyuki tackled right into Hibiki, and they collapsed, leaving a dust cloud.

Ayumi looked at the dust cloud, wondering. "Um, are you two okay?" she asked. Suddenly, the dust cloud quickly dispersed as the two girls popped out, roaring for some reason, and making Ayumi panic. They stopped roaring and looked at Ayumi, blushing in embarrassment. They stepped towards Ayumi, who didn't know what to say. Then both Hibiki and Miyuki bowed their head. "Sorry about earlier!" they said in unison. Ayumi was taken aback.

I wasn't looking where I was going, so it was my fault I bumped into you." Miyuki apologized. "I think I accidentally hit your bracelet with my hand." Hibiki added, pointing at the bracelet on Ayumi, "It's not broken, is it?" Ayumi looked at the bracelet, then hid it behind her back. "I-It's okay!" she replied innocently. "Really?" Hibiki asked. "You're not hurt, are you?" Miyuki asked. "No, I'm okay." Ayumi replied, "Me and my bracelet are both okay." "That's a relief." sighed the two apologizing girls.

"You followed by all this way just to make sure I was okay?" Ayumi asked in a confused manner. "Yeah!" the other responded. Ayumi didn't know what to think, so she slipped past them, then said, "Thanks." and walked off. "Take care now!" Hibiki waved her off. "Buh-bye!" Miyuki added. Ayumi looked back at the two, finding the two strange, but very nice girls.

It was a few seconds after Ayumi laughed did Hibiki and Miyuki looked to one another, laughing a bit. "Hey, can I ask you something?" Miyuki asked. "Yeah, me too!" Hibiki added. "Do you know where I am?" the two girls asked, then replied, "Dunno…" A car drove past them as they thought where to go next.

Meanwhile, Asuna, Yui, Kanade, Ellen and Ako had the piece of Fusion surrounded around them inside of a shrubbery area. No one was near them. Asuna had her Keyblade at the ready while Yui had her tessen. "Make sure it doesn't get out!" Asuna warned the others, "We can't let this thing get away from us."

The Fusion remnant shot towards Ako's position. She shielded herself with her hands, but Yui, who was closest, unleashed a Whirlwind on it, making it spin around and slam back into the center. "I won't let you hurt them!" Yui warned the green blob, which was shaped like a snake, and it looked around to see an opening.

Just then, two separate Fusion remnants appeared through the bushes behind Asuna, and she turned to watch them slither over to their helpless piece. They morphed together, becoming bigger, then the combined remnants jumped into the air and morphed into what looked like a green jelly will-o-the-wisp, with a scary face on it that growled at Asuna.

"More pieces of Fusion made it stronger!" Ellen exclaimed as she, Ako and Kanade were shocked at the change. "It has shifted from escape to attack, mama!" Yui noticed. "Then it's a good thing I'm ready." Asuna answered, "Ellen! Ako! Kanade! Stay back for a second! Yui and I'll handle this." The three girls did as they were told, leaving Asuna and Yui standing there, taking their jackets off so they could fight Fusion. "Come on." Asuna snarled, giving off a serious expression.

The Fusion charged at Asuna, who charged in response. Asuna thrusted her Keyblade forward, jabbing the face of Fusion. This was followed by several more fast jabs, then unleashing her 'Linear' Rapier skill. This sent Fusion flying a few meters away before it recovered itself. It shot several dark purple shots from its' mouth, but Yui got in front, unleashing her Whirlwind again, making the attacks blow off course.

Yui readied herself as Shadow's ring glowed on her wrist, then shot a Chaos Spear at Fusion, which blasted on impact. It flinched from the blast, then it roared at them. As Yui did this, Asuna was focusing, readying to perform the move she perfected early on that day. Her Keyblade glowed purple, and she glared at the Fusion as it flew at them. "Watch out!" Kanade shouted.

Asuna leaped over Yui, then charged at Fusion, who stopped at Asuna's glare on it. She then jabbed five times down one angle of its' face, jumped backwards, then thrusted forward five more times down the other angle, forming an X on the face of the Fusion. It was dazed from the ten consecutive attacks, making unable to dodge as Asuna tilted, and placed all her strength into her final thrust, striking the center of the X she made, directly on the spot her two third strikes on each line met. The attack caused a great explosion, and Fusion disappeared into nothingness.

Asuna whipped her Keyblade down, standing in the spot she finished the Fusion. Everyone else was quiet, amazed at what she did. Asuna placed her Keyblade away, and sighed in relief. The others then smiled happily as they rushed in around Asuna.

"That was incredible!" Kanade stated. "It was only one piece of the Fusion." Asuna pointed out. "Still, your skills with that weapon is quite amazing." Ako pointed out. "Asuna, what kind of attack was that? The last one you performed?" Ellen asked. Asuna looked to her, then looked down at her open right palm. "It's an Original Skill a good friend of mine gave me." she answered, and the ghostly image of Yuuki Konno's face reflected off of her hand, "Mother's Rosario."

For a while, she paused as she remembered the times she had with Yuuki a long time ago, up to when she passed away. The others noticed the sad expression she displayed in her eyes. "Mama." Yui said, tugging at Asuna's shoulder. Asuna realized she was losing focus, then shook her head of the matter. "Sorry about that." she said, smiling at them, making them believe she was okay. She then grew serious as she continued, "But now, we should hunt down more Fusion remnants." The others nodded in agreement, they were far from over.

Just then, Ako turned and gasped, "I see a couple more!" They all turned and saw two more pieces of Fusion, slithering on the ground as they went into the city. "After them!" Asuna declared, and the five girls raced off into the city.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 3: The New Pretty Cure<strong>

Asuna led the other four as they raced into the city, chasing after the two new pieces. Wherever they were going, they were in a big hurry. "They're heading into the Chinatown District!" Yui noticed, seeing the pieces go down a different path, passing a blue, highly decorated gate with a sign that said 'Chinatown' on it.

"Look! Up ahead!" Ellen pointed at something. They saw the backside of Hibiki, with Hummy clinging on the top of her head. Not too far behind Hibiki was the same dark-magenta-haired girl they saw before. The five girls raced passed the girl, to which Asuna saw her carry a doll with yellow curly hair in her arms.

"Hibiki!" Kanade shouted. Hibiki turned to see who called out to her. "Kanade! Ellen! Ako! Asuna! Yui!" she noticed all five of them. Kanade and Asuna raced up next to her as they continued to run. "Where did you go?" Kanade asked, "Do you realize just how worried we were?!" "Yeah! We ended up having to take out a piece of Fusion without you, but more showed up!" Asuna added.

"Sorry about that." Hibiki apologized, "I just figured that if I kept looking for Fusion, I was bound to run into you again." "Jeez, Hibiki." Kanade blushed. "More of that womanly intuition, I take it?" Asuna asked in a quizzical manner.

"We can talk later!" Ako told the trio, "Right now, Fusion is trying to assemble together!" "Think of what'll happen if he gets as big as he did before." Ellen told the group, "We need to stop it while it is small enough." "We need a place to transform at." Asuna told the five, looking about, noticing how busy the street was. "There!" Yui exclaimed, pointing to an alleyway, "You five can transform there!"

The six girls raced into the alleyway, the four pulling out their Cure Modules while Asuna readied herself. Yui turned and noticed they were being watched by the same girl that was with Hibiki. Yui then realized too late, she was gonna watch them transform.

_(Cue Suite Precure Henshin music)_

Dory, Reri, Lari, and Dodori flew upwards, shining brightly before landing in their respective Cure Modules. "_Let's Play! Precure Modulation!_" They tapped the bottoms of their Cure Modules, starting the transformation process. "_Precure Soul!_" Asuna shouted, and she bursted with energy. The five girls had ribbons surround them, each of them undergoing their transformation sequence before reappearing in their Pretty Cure Form. As their earrings appeared, chiming up an octave scale, Asuna and Ellen's earrings appeared simultaneously.

_"Strumming to the Wild Rhythm! Cure Melody!"_

_"Strumming to the Tranquil Melody! Cure Rhythm!"_

_"Strumming to the Beat of my Soul! Cure Beat!"_

_"Strumming to the Soul of my Beat! Cure Soul!"_

_"Strumming to the Goddess' Tune! Cure Muse!"_

The five placed their hands in the center of their semicircle. "_Resonate! Our Musical Symphony!_" they shouted in unison before striking a pose, "_Suite Precure!_"

"Um, guys…" Yui started, but it was too late. The dark pink-haired girl's eyes were glittering as she stood behind the five. "Whoa! You are all Pretty Cure?!" she exclaimed, and everyone but Melody were shocked at this. "She saw us?!" cried Rhythm. "What do we do now?!" Soul asked. "Don't worry!" Melody assured her as the girl dug into her purse, pulling out a make-up case and a small metal ribbon. "Okay! Now it's my turn!" she declared.

The girl opened the case and placed the ribbon into it. _"Ready?"_ said a voice as the gems within glowed. _"Precure Smile Charge!"_ the girl shouted. _"Go!"_ the voice cried, the inside of the case shining brightly before producing a powder puff for the girl. _"Go, go! Let's go, Happy!"_ chanted the voice again as the girl grabbed the powder puff, tapping parts of her body, forming her own Pretty Cure uniform. Her hair glowed, making itself bigger and styled. The girl finished by tapping her cheeks with her puff, forming blush marks.

_"The Twinkling, Sparkling, Light of the Future! Cure Happy!"_ she chanted, striking a pose.

The girl's garments were a lot different from the Suite Pretty Cure garments, but they did have the same Pretty Cure style to it. It was color coordinated in a variety of pinks and white, complete with arm protectors and boots. Her hair was a bright pink, and it extended into two long ponytails with loose strands on her head, on which a white crown and wings. Her eyes were also bright pink.

Soul had Yui on her back as the girls jumped high into the air, surprised at the new Pretty Cure in their midst. Beat had Hummy while Cure Happy had a her doll, which was actually alive. "Cure Happy…" echoed Muse. "You're a Pretty Cure, too?" Beat asked. "Nice to meet you!" Happy greeted them happily. "They didn't even know she was a Pretty Cure." Yui noticed. "So you are a brand new Pretty Cure." Asuna realized, "Well, the more the merrier, I guess."

She turned to look down and see the Fusion pieces gathering towards a certain direction. "Fusion, where are you going in such a hurry?" Melody muttered. "We'll stop it before it reaches its' destination." Rhythm told her. Melody nodded in response.

After leaping across the city, the seven girls landed within a harbor front. On top of one of the stacks of metal crates, they saw five large, green Fusion remnants about the size of the combined one Asuna and Yui dealt with before. "We'd better divide and conquer it before it combines together." Melody told the group.

"Happy, take care of Yui for me, would ya?" Soul asked, pushing Yui to Happy, with Hummy and Happy's fairy, whose name was Candy. "Uh, sure!" Happy replied. "Mama?" Yui asked. Soul smiled as she gave Yui a thumbs up, then the five Suite Pretty Cure dove at the five Fusion remnants, which morphed into the same will-o-the-wisp forms like the one did before.

The five Fusion remnants shot at the five girls, who struck them with a barrage of punches before knocking them in five directions, each girl taking one of them. Melody's Fusion was shooting purple shots of energy, and Melody was avoiding them all while being chased by it. Rhythm was knocking her Fusion back with a series of punches. Beat was doing the same, only with kicks. Muse was avoiding the quick flying Fusion, who kept trying to ram into her. Soul used her Soul Barrier to endure the blasts of purple shots from hers, then coming out with a roundhouse kick, slamming it into a metal crate.

Happy, Yui, Hummy and Candy all watched from a distance as the five battles ensued. "Go, mama! Pretty Cure!" Yui cheered, with Hummy and Candy cheering along with her. "I've gotta help somehow." Happy muttered, "But who should I…" she looked at all the battles, wondering who to assist.

Just then, a blast got the two's attention, and they looked to see Melody's Fusion flying towards them. "Happy, look out!" Melody shouted. Happy saw it coming, and panicked. Yui was about to attack when Happy stepped forward and slammed her head directly onto the Fusion. Yui looked dumbfounded. Melody gritted her teeth, watching Happy's reckless attack.

Happy was completely dazed at this attack. The Fusion was dazed for a few seconds, then it shook it off and was about to attack when Yui jumped and slashed it repeatedly with her tessen. This gave enough time to Melody to come flying in, slamming with both feet out, and sending it bouncing to the ground and into the metal crates.

"What a way to be reckless!" Melody told Happy as she clutched her head. "Are you okay, Happy?" Yui asked. Yui looked up, her eyes in pain, but determined as she said, "I-I can handle this one!" "You got this?" Melody asked. "Yeah!" Happy replied, preparing herself.

She gathered energy into her transformation device before it bursted with energy, enveloping her hands. She then released the energy in the shape of a heart, which shrunk into her hands as it formed a heart between them. _"Precure Happy Shower!"_ cried Happy, and she unleashed the energy in her hands, which shot out like a stream of pink energy. It struck the Fusion, making it explode and disappear.

All the other Pretty Cures saw what Happy did and grouped together with her, Melody and Yui. "Not bad out there!" Beat told her. "Just try and keep your guard up next time." Muse informed after. "Uh, right! Sorry!" Happy apologized.

"All that leaves are the other Fusion remnants." Soul stated. "Let's take care of the other bits of Fusion." said Rhythm. The others nodded in agreement. "I'll help as well!" Yui declared. They all turned to see the four remaining Fusions morph together, forming one giant, purple version of the ones before. "Ah! It combined and grew bigger!" Happy exclaimed. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Soul quoted, "Let's take it out before anyone sees it!"

Melody pulled out her Miracle Belltier. Rhythm pulled out her Fantastic Belltier. Beat pulled out her Love Guitar Rod and changed it into Soul Rod form. Soul produced her Keyblade. Muse detached her Cure Module as Tiry entered into the slot. Yui readied her tessen, gathering forth the winds. _"Fly forth, Tone Ring!"_ shouted Melody, Rhythm, Beat and Soul in unison, creating their rings of energy. _"Ti note's Shining Melody!"_ Muse chanted, blowing into her Cure Module which let out a note along with a cluster of yellow bubbles that turned into note shapes.

_"Precure Music Rondo!"_ Melody shouted, unleashing her orange Tone Ring. _"Precure Music Rondo!"_ Rhythm shouted, unleashing her yellow Tone Ring. _"Precure Heartful Beat Rock!"_ Beat shouted, shooting her green Tone Ring. _"Precure Soulful Beat Rock!"_ Soul shouted, shooting her white Tone Ring. _"Precure Sparkling Shower!"_ Muse shouted, sending forth all the bubbles at once. Yui roared as she sent a blast of wind forward in a huge cyclone.

All six attacks made contact. The Tone Ring spun around even faster thanks to Yui's Whirlwind, and the bubbles morphed together, encasing the Fusion. _"3/4 beat! 1, 2, 3…"_ The five Pretty Cure chanted, waving their weapons like batons before bringing them down, shouting, _"Finale!"_ The rings and bubbles shrunk and exploded, destroying the Fusion all together.

Happy saw the attack, her mouth open wide. "Amazing!" she gasped. "There's bound to be more fragments of Fusion out there." Beat guessed. "I agree. The battles not over until they are all gone." Soul agreed, "But now we need to know where they are."

"I wasn't expecting them to seek each other out and re-form like that. What an uncouth foe." Muse stated. "I have a feeling that there's something that's controlling them, guiding them together." Yui assumed, "It must be the core of Fusion. We take that part out, we can stop them for good." "Then we'd better keep searching for it." said Soul.

Just then, they heard voices coming from behind, and getting closer. "I wonder what caused that explosion we heard." said one voice. "Mama!" Yui whispered. "Right. We'd better move." Soul told the other Suite Pretty Cure. Without Happy noticing, they picked up Hummy and Yui and jumped to another stack of metal crates.

Happy greeted whoever was coming near, and turned to notice them aways from her. "Wait! You're leaving?!" she called out. "We're going to look for other parts of Fusion." Rhythm told her. "You'd better do the same as well." Soul added. "See you around, Happy!" Melody waved to her before the six girls and cat took off to somewhere they could transform out. "They were so cool!" said Happy, watching them leave.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 4: The Core<span>**

It was getting pretty late in the day, so the girls decided to call it quits. Apart from the ones they fought, there had been no others they could find at the moment. Still, Asuna assured them that they at least started on destroying them, and that it was one step forward to victory. She learned that back in Aincrad.

They rented a room in a hotel in the city, and spent the evening talking to one another, Asuna and Yui setting up battle plans for the team to go by when encountering a Fusion, while Hibiki and the others exchanged stories on what Asuna missed during the time she left them. Asuna and Yui were quite fascinated at what they had dealt with, from discovering Cure Muse's identity when she went in a disguise, from fighting the main villain, Noise, along with his deception and control on the Minor Trio, Mephisto and of course, Ellen when she was the cat, Siren. It seemed like the four had dealt with their fair of troubles, even without the involvement of Heartless, Unversed, or even Asuna.

The next morning, the girls got up and continued the search for Fusion. They found one Fusion remnant, but they quickly disposed of it. That was all they found that morning. "Jeez, where could they be hiding?" Kanade asked, looking underneath a table outside of a shop. "I'd hate to say this, but it might be impossible to find all the pieces of Fusion." Asuna muttered, looking about.

"Come on, we can't give up now!" Hibiki told the girls, "It's like Yui said yesterday; All we have to do is find the main core of Fusion, and it will be destroyed, right?" "But where do you think the core is?" Ako asked her. "That…I don't know." Hibiki answered. The others dipped their heads, wondering where they should start.

Just then, the group heard an explosion. "What was that?!" Kanade asked. "Up there!" Ellen cried as she and Hummy looked up, pointing to a lookout point above the city. The girls turned to see a large piece of Fusion up there, and five girls fighting against it.

Asuna activated her SAO eyesight so she could see a bit better. "It's definitely a Fusion." Asuna noticed, "And those other girls…they are Pretty Cure!" She then gasped when she recognized one of them. "I see Cure Happy among them!" she added, surprising the girls. "Do you think its' her friends?" Ellen asked. "Maybe." Asuna replied, looking away from the fight, "I don't recognize them from the rest of the Pretty Cures. Either way, the Fusion they are fighting is very strong."

"Let's help out Happy and her friends!" Hibiki told the girls. They nodded in response, and raced into the alleyway. From within their voices could be heard. _"Let's Play! Precure Modulation!" "Precure Soul!"_ The five girls transformed into their Pretty Cure form, and carried Yui and Hummy as they jumped high to go aid Happy.

Up at the lookout point, Happy and her four friends were panting heavily as they were facing a Fusion, who's body was incredibly large, bright blue metallic and muscular humanoid-shaped. Happy's friends had mostly similar attire, but their hairstyles and the color of their attire, eyes, hair were all different. From aways from them, Ayumi watched the five girls fight against the large Fusion. "Fu…" she muttered, looking at the scary demeanor of Fusion.

"None of our attacks are even working on this thing." Happy panted. "We're just making it stronger!" said the green Pretty Cure. "What are we gonna do?" asked the yellow Pretty Cure. The five girls had no idea what to do against it.

"Don't give up yet!" shouted Melody and Soul in unison. They leapt in from behind, landing in front of Happy and her friends. Soul lowered Yui down again while Hummy jumped from Beat's hands, racing next to Candy, who was aways from them.

"Sorry we're late!" Melody apologized. "You okay, Happy?" Yui asked. "Melody! Everyone!" Happy exclaimed happily. "They must be…" the green Pretty Cure realized. "An older Pretty Cure team!" the orange Pretty Cure finished her sentence. "It's nice to meet you." greeted the yellow Pretty Cure, "We only became Pretty Cure, see, so we're still a bit new to all this…"

"We can talk later!" Muse stopped her. "This monster is more important right now!" Soul told them, "So new or not, we have to work together to take it out!" "Right!" agreed the rest of the girls. "Mama, I'll fight with you, too!" Yui declared, producing her tessen. Soul smiled at Yui, nodding in approval. _Why?_ Ayumi thought to herself, _Why are the Pretty Cure fighting Fu?_ Fusion raised its' body a bit, ready to strike. The eleven girls readied to strike back at full force.

They were about to come at each other when Ayumi shouted, "Don't do it!" This halted everyone in their tracks, including Fusion. Happy stumbled behind Melody, knocking into her and making both of them collapse. "Seriously?" Melody asked. "My bad…" moaned the dizzy Happy. Soul and Yui looked to Ayumi, who was racing to where Fusion was. "Did she stop us?" Yui asked. "Why?" Soul wondered.

Ayumi got in between the Pretty Cures and Fusion, her arms spread out to protect Fusion. "Please don't!" she begged to the girls, "Don't hurt Fu! Please!" Fusion looked down at Ayumi, surprised. "We're not doing this to hurt him." Beat told Ayumi. "Fu? Do you mean Fusion?" the yellow Pretty Cure asked. Fusion surprisingly shrunk down and changed to a slightly dark yellow color, looking similar to what Patina, the magic frog looked like in Yusnaan.

"Fu is my friend, and he means a lot to me." Ayumi told them, "So please, leave him alone!" She knelt down and picked up the small Fusion, holding it close. "My poor Fu." she muttered, vibrating slightly. "Ayumi!" Fu muttered, grasping her arm with its' stubby hands. The Pretty Cures and Yui all looked at one another, not sure what to make of this situation.

"Do you know what he really is?" Rhythm asked. "Do you remember the monster that attacked the city yesterday?" Soul asked, "That monster was Fusion, and your friend is a piece of that monster." "To be more precise, that's the core of Fusion." Yui corrected her, drawing the other's attention, "It acted differently to the other pieces of Fusion we fought, and is probably the thing that was causing the other pieces of Fusion to go amok."

Ayumi pulled Fusion away from her and looked down at it, who looked up, scared of her abandoning her. "Please, hand Fusion over to us." Muse told her. Ayumi pulled Fusion back in, shaking her head in disagreement. "It's existence is a danger to not only yourself, but this entire city." Muse continued.

Ayumi looked to the girls, then said, "But Fu is my friend! I'm not letting you have him!" Ayumi got up and started to run away. "Wait!" Happy cried, and she jumped after Ayumi, attempting to stop her. Fusion saw her coming, and made its' body snake-like, smacking Happy and sending her flying backwards. The others were running behind as they saw her fall. "Happy!" cried Melody. Soul jumped out of the way as Happy crashed to the ground, creating a dust cloud on impact.

Soul flew towards a light pole, produced her Keyblade and used it to swing herself around it, flying towards the path Ayumi was taking. She skidded to a halt in front of Ayumi, who stopped at the sight of her. Soul had her arms out wide. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you any further with Fusion!" she told her, "I'm doing this for your own good, so please, give Fusion to us!"

"No!" Ayumi barked, holding Fusion tightly to her, "Fusion is my ONLY friend! Even if you are a Pretty Cure, I can't let you take him away from me!" Ayumi raced at Soul, who was surprised at her daring to come at her. She lowered her guard, and Fusion struck Soul, sending her flying. "Don't hurt Ayumi!" Fusion warned Soul, who was surprised to hear it speak like that. She was sprawled out on the ground, and she sat up to see Ayumi disappearing down a flight of stairs, with Fusion at hand.

"Soul!" Beat cried as Melody and Happy led the group to her side. "Are you okay, mama?" Yui asked. Melody and Happy hoisted Soul to her feet. "I'm fine." she replied, then looked towards where Ayumi disappeared, a look of sympathy crossed her face. "Ayumi…" Happy muttered. "We'd better search for her." the blue Pretty Cure told the group.

For the next half hour, the girls searched all over for Ayumi and Fusion, wondering where they went, and confused at her words. How come she felt Fusion, a monster that had the power and mind to level the city, was a friend of hers? It didn't make sense to them. They came back together on top of an old building. At that point, Soul reverted back to Asuna again. The Suite Pretty Cure team got to know Happy's friends. The orange Pretty Cure was Cure Sunny. The yellow Pretty Cure was Cure Peace. The green Pretty Cure was Cure March. And the blue Pretty Cure was Cure Beauty. Their entire group was called the Smile Pretty Cure. Happy also told Ayumi's name to the group.

"I wasn't hearing things, was I?" Melody asked as the sky started to turn gray on them, "She DID say Fusion was her friend, right?" "Do you think she meant it?" Happy asked. "Regardless of whether or not she meant it, we can't let that thing roam free." Muse told the group. They all knew she was right about that. All except for Yui, that is.

"I was just thinking." Yui muttered, drawing the group's attention, "Maybe Fusion- I mean, Fu- isn't really as bad as we think." "What do you mean?" Beauty asked. "Fusion caused a lot of destruction before." Muse told her, "That thing must be stopped, whether it's bad or not."

"But think about it." Yui said, turning to them, "If Fusion's core was really evil, why would it go out of its' way to protect Ayumi? Why didn't it attack her when it had a chance?" "Fusion had its' reasons. didn't it?" Asuna assumed, turning to Happy, "When Fusion attacked you, did you do anything to provoke it?" "No, not that I could think of." Happy replied, pondering on the moment, "We each introduced ourselves, then I got to talking to my friends aways from her before I heard it saying something." "If I remember, it said we made Ayumi sad." March recalled.

Asuna pondered on all the clues given, then recalled the moment she tried stopping Ayumi. _"Fusion is my ONLY friend! Even if you are a Pretty Cure, I can't let you take him away from me!"_ Those words struck her at that moment, and she came to a realization. "Maybe Ayumi was jealous of you." she said. "Jealous?" Happy asked. "She was jealous of seeing you with your friends, and that's what triggered Fusion's core to attack you." The group looked to one another. Maybe Fusion wasn't as bad as they thought.

"Reset!" boomed a deep and familiar voice. This drew the girls' attention as they looked about. Large pieces of Fusion started rising from the ground, like cobras coming out of their baskets. "Reset!" the voice said again, and again. It kept saying that over and over, and more pieces of Fusion started rising along the ground. Then a bright light started to shine on top of the tallest tower in Yokohama, and the dark pieces of Fusion were attracted to it. With every building the Fusion pieces hit, it instantly vanished without a trace.

The moment all the pieces got in close, they scattered about, deleting all the city building it could get to. More pieces of Fusion appeared out of the ground, morphing into dark, metallic blobs that moved all across the city. People were panicking and trying to evacuate from the city as fast as they could. Ayumi was going the opposite direction, racing towards the tower where Fusion's core was at. "Fu!" Ayumi cried, "My Fu, stop!"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 5: Race to Fu<span>**

"This is bad!" Sunny muttered as the girls watched the travesty of what was happening from up above. "We have to stop Fusion from hurting the townspeople!" Rhythm told the group, "Let's stop the Fusions as best as we can!" "Right!" the team replied, and they jumped off the building to the ground, and started fighting against the Fusion remnants.

They were a lot harder to get rid of than the others. Before, the girls wanted the Fusion pieces to appear so they could destroy them. Now, they were having difficulty fighting so many.

What's more, the pieces were clever. Asuna unleashed her Waterga spell on one of the Fusion remnants, but it absorbed the attack, making itself bigger. Muse tried the same thing with her Sparkling Shower, but it absorbed that attack, too. "Dammit!" Asuna snarled. "Our magical attacks aren't working against them!" Muse noticed. "It's just absorbing our power and growing even larger!" Rhythm stated.

Ayumi was at the corner of the building they were at, watching and hearing what they said. She then recalled she had told Fu before that it should eat to grow big and strong. _Is this all my fault?_ Ayumi thought to herself, traumatized at what was happening.

At this point, Happy was racing along the other side of the building, passing by Ayumi. She then turned to see Ayumi standing there and changed course. "Ayumi!" Happy greeted her, getting everyone else's attention. "You're that girl who was with Fusion, right?" Sunny asked as the Smile Pretty Cures gathered around her. Yui also joined their group. "Where's your little Fusion?" Peace asked, "Is he not with you?" Ayumi didn't answer.

"Is that him up on top of the tower?" Beauty asked, looking to the light shining from the tower. Again, Ayumi didn't answer. "We ain't gonna know if you don't tell us." Sunny told her. Ayumi's mind wandered to where Fu was at. She closed her eyes and passed the girls, trying to run away.

"Ayumi!" Yui stopped her, "You wanted to talk to us about something, didn't you?" Ayumi stood there, not sure how to answer. "That is why you came looking for us, isn't it?" Happy asked.

For a while, Ayumi didn't turn around nor speak to them. Then she sobbed, "Please… Please, help me!" She turned to them with tears in her eyes. "You have to stop Fu!" she begged to them, "I never meant for any of this to happen! I didn't really want it all to disappear! I was just mad and confused, and…" Ayumi placed her hands to her face as she continued, "Then Fu started talking about making my wish come true."

"Then he's doing this for you?" Beauty asked. "It's like when you got jealous for Happy having friends." Yui recalled, "So, in a way, Fu was just protecting you, trying to make you happy by getting rid of the conflict." "This isn't Fu's fault!" Ayumi told them, "I'm the one to blame for everything!"

Happy walked forward and had Ayumi open her eyes to her. "All right then, we'd better go tell Fu how you really feel! We'll just go tell Fu what you really want!" "It won't work." Ayumi retorted. "Why's that?" Happy asked. "I keep calling to him, but he never answers me."

"Then your gonna have ta keep shouting for him, aren't cha? Till he finally gets it." Sunny told her. "Unless you tell him how you really feel, he'll never understand." March added. "I'm not like you, though." Ayumi responded, "You're all Precure. You're strong, and brave, and…" "I'm not a Precure." Yui told her, walking up close to her, "I'm just as strong as you are. But even I wouldn't give up in a situation like this. Being one of them doesn't make you any braver."

"Yui is right." said Muse as she and the rest of the Suite Pretty Cure team walked towards them, "We didn't become Pretty Cure because we were strong. We became Pretty Cure because we had people we wanted to protect!" "What matters is what's in your heart." Beat told them. "And what you're soul is saying." Asuna added, "After all, Fusion is your friend, isn't he?"

Ayumi thought about all the good times she and Fu had in the past couple days, meeting each other, playing together, seeing all the sights. Her eyes formed more tears in her eyes as she answered, "Yes." "And when a friend does something wrong, or makes a mistake, it's your job to step in and stop them." Melody stated.

"It was the same for me and Beat." Asuna stated, holding Beat's hand, "She use to be controlled by someone bad. When she was free, she was confused on what was right, anymore. I saw her as a friend, and helped her through the tough times. Now, we understand one another more than we ever did before." Beat smiled at Asuna, glad to hear her say such things about her. "Now I'm gonna ask you the same question that I asked her." Asuna told Ayumi, "What is it do you want to do, right now?"

Ayumi looked to the tower where Fu was at, then looked down. "I… I want to talk to Fu." she answered, "I want to tell him how I really feel!" "Then let's go tell him!" Happy declared, "We'll be right there to help you! Right?" The others nodded in agreement. "Let's do this together!" Melody added. "We'll unlock the pathway to your bonded hearts!" Asuna finished. Ayumi smiled at the team, then bowed to them. "Thank you all so much!" she told them. "Then let's get movin'!" Sunny declared.

The group of girls ran out towards the tower, racing up a street bridge towards their destination. Asuna activated her Precure Soul Drive again, entering as Cure Soul. Another Fusion piece got in the path, morphing into a muscular humanoid form.

"Let's do this, Rhythm!" Melody told her friend. "Okay, Melody!" Rhythm replied. The two charged forward with Melody in the lead. Melody countered the blows from its' fists, distracting it enough for Rhythm to attack. Then Soul and Beat came to either side while Muse fell from above, and simultaneously attacked the Fusion, destroying it. "Ayumi, run for it!" Rhythm told her. Ayumi did what she was told, with the Smile Precure running behind.

As Beat and Soul sent the remaining pieces of Fusion down to the ground below on one end and Muse and Yui did the same on the other, more Fusion pieces popped up to attack some more. "Beat! Soul! Muse! Yui!" Melody shouted, and she and Rhythm joined the four in their fights. The Suite Pretty Cure team kept attacking the Fusion, destroying them and preventing them from blocking Ayumi's path. One piece almost got to her, but March and Beauty stopped it, destroying it into pieces.

"Ayumi, are you okay?" Happy asked, then saw the tears in Ayumi's eyes. "Fu…" she muttered, "Have you already forgotten who I am?" "That's not true!" Happy denied. "There's still some distance between you two." Beauty told her, "I believe he's merely unable to ascertain your identity. With a little more proximity, I'm sure he'll realize that it's you." "But can I really make it all the way there?" Ayumi asked in a depressed manner.

"I know what if feels like to be nervous about these things." Peace told her, "I mean, I scare easily, and I'm a bit of a crybaby." Just as Peace was being carried off by a piece of Fusion, Ayumi asked, "Even though you're a Precure?"

"Bein' a Pretty Cure doesn't mean you are any different from anyone else." Sunny told her as Peace was being saved by Melody, "We're just normal girls, ya know?" March, who was nearby, giggled at this. "Sunny? Normal? That's amusing." she giggled. "That's rude!" Sunny barked at her, "At least I'm not a mom like you or Soul!"

"What the heck do you mean by that?!" March barked back. "I think you and mama are great mothers." Yui said, leaping near them. "Oh, thank you, Yui." Soul thanked her before charging at another Fusion piece. "March does make an excellent mother." Beauty added. "Don't encourage them, Beauty!"

Ayumi was looking to Peace, who was bowing her head, thanking and apologizing to Melody, then back at March arguing with Sunny, Beauty and Yui, who were taunting her back. She couldn't help but smile and giggle at the sight of them. "Hey, you laughed, Ayumi! That's good!" Happy noticed, making the other Smile Pretty Cures notice as well, "Lighten up, okay? We're all here with you! Let's go!" Ayumi smiled as she replied, "Sure!"

"Looks like they have things taken care of." Rhythm told Melody and Yui, watching the group. Soul, Beat and Muse joined the group, agreeing as well. "Let's leave Ayumi in Happy and her friends, then." Melody stated, "While we clear the road for them!" They turned to see three Fusion pieces morph together into something dinosaur like. "Let's deal with this thing!" Soul told them, and they went to work on stopping Fusion.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 6: Gather! Pretty Cure All-Stars!<span>**

While Ayumi and the Smile Pretty Cures made it to the end of the bridge and raced through a park, Soul and her friends took down as many Fusion pieces as they could with physical attacks. They made it on top of a building and looked down to see the Smile Pretty Cure protect Ayumi from another large piece, but another piece came from behind, morphed into a dog, and bounded to Ayumi, who saw it coming.

t was about to pounce at her when a small fairy appeared, and magically produced a shield to rebound the hound-shaped Fusion. "Who's that fairy?" Soul asked. "I remember that one." Yui noticed, "It was with the other fairies during the first fight against Fusion!" "That looks like." Melody started, but then saw four girls appear from under some trees, with a couple more fairies at their side. "Tsubomi!" Melody gasped. "Erika!" Rhythm followed.

"Let's transform!" said the oldest girl there. "Right!" replied two of them while the blue haired girl replied, "You got it!" They pulled out their Pretty Cure devices, and with assistance from their fairies, produced round Heart Seeds. _"Precure Open my Heart!"_ they shouted together, inserting their Heart Seeds, and undergoing their transformation sequence into their Pretty Cure form.

_"The Flower spreading through the land! Cure Blossom!"_

_"The Flower flowing in the sea breeze! Cure Marine!"_

_"The Flower that bathes in the sunlight! Cure Sunshine!"_

_"The Flower that glistens under the moon's light! Cure Moonlight!"_

The four tapped their ribbons, producing hearts which they caught before shouting, _"Heartcatch Pretty Cure!"_, posing.

Ayumi was shocked to see their transformation in front of her. The same went for Soul and Yui. "There's a lot more Pretty Cure there than just them!" shouted a voice, and they looked up to see the ferret-like fairy, Tarte, standing on top of a building next to another fairy, along with Hummy and Candy. "Just watch my girls!" he told the fairies as he looked down, and Soul and the others saw four more girls appear out of some bushes.

The four girls produced some phone-like Pretty Cure devices, opening them with keys and scanning their fingers across them, making them shine. _"Change! Precure Beat Up!"_ Each of the four entered their own transformation sequence, becoming Pretty Cure.

_"The pink heart is the symbol of love! Freshly-Picked, Cure Peach!"_

_"The blue heart is the symbol of hope! Freshly-Gathered, Cure Berry!"_

_"The yellow heart is the symbol of faith! Freshly-Harvested, Cure Pine!"_

_"The red heart is the symbol of happiness! Freshly-Ripened, Cure Passion!"_

The four thrusted their fists into the air as Peach said, _"Let's…"_ before the other three joined saying, _"…Precure!"_, striking a pose.

"Phew, we made it!" sighed Peach, slumping a bit. "No thanks to your navigation skills." Berry scolded her. "Oh, come on!" moaned Peach. "We're here, aren't we?" Pine told them. "It's so easy to take the wrong road, isn't it?" Marine asked Peach, joining their group. "Sure is!" the two responded harmoniously and with smiles. "Can we deal with this later?" Passion asked them.

"My god, those girls…" moaned Soul, shaking her head at their absent-mindedness, then smiling, "Guess every Pretty Cure group has a way of spicing up any situation." "You can say that again." Muse and Yui agreed simultaneously. "Let's keep fighting, guys!" Beat told them, and they ensued the combat against the Fusion.

As they did, Soul looked down to see the Fresh Pretty Cures and the Heartcatch Pretty Cures each unleashing magical attacks onto two of the larger Fusion pieces. At first, she wondered why, since their attacks would only be absorbed. Then she noticed as the Fusion pieces grew larger, they chased after whoever attacked them, trying to get more power from them as they ran away. "I get it! It's like fishing, the bigger the bait, the more the big guys will go after!" Soul understood. She watched as Ayumi thanked them for helping her, then chased after the Smile Pretty Cure.

The Suite Pretty Cure team landed onto the ground, chasing after Ayumi and the Smile Pretty Cures, seeing a couple more Fusion pieces blocking Ayumi's path. "Yui, delete the obstacles!" Soul told her daughter. "Okay!" Yui understood, and Soul grabbed her arm, tossing her high. She spun in the air, landing in front of Ayumi and the Smile Pretty Cure, her body glowing pink. "I'll reset the path forward!" Yui told them.

Yui floated into the air by winds, which ignited into flames, enveloping her. She appeared out of them, wearing a simple white dress and carrying a super long flaming sword. She traced an arc with it over her head, then grabbed the handle with both hands. _"Program: Delete!"_ Yui shouted, and she slammed the sword down to the ground, unleashing a straight-lined shockwave towards the Fusions. The attacks struck them, and they instantly vanished without a trace. Yui landed onto the ground, her clothes reverting back to normal.

Ayumi and all the other Pretty Cures were stunned at what she had just pulled off. "How'n the heck did you do that?!" exclaimed Sunny. "You not only stopped them, but you removed them from existence!" Beauty noticed. "I can tell you some other time!" Yui replied sternly, "Right now, getting Ayumi to Fusion's core is more important!" The girls understood, and Yui led the others as they ran on ahead, with the Suite Pretty Cure close behind.

Just as they were nearing the edge of the park, some shaking stopped them in their tracks. They turned towards the harbor, where a large carrier ship was docked at. Fusion pieces came out of the water all around it, forming a large hand that lifted the ship into the air, and created a bridge with more Fusion pieces from the city, making a path for the ship to the middle of town.

"Oh, no!" Soul gasped. "Is he going to launch that boat?" Rhythm asked. The Fusion loosened its' grip on the ship, and it started moving down the path to the middle of town, and gaining momentum. "This is bad!" Melody cried, and she and the other Suite Pretty Cure jumped towards the ship. "If we don't stop the ship, and fast, the destruction is gonna be incredible!" Yui cried. "Peace, Yui, look after Ayumi!" Happy told her friends as she and the other Smile Pretty Cures joined Melody's group.

Happy's group landed seconds after Melody and Soul's group arrived. "Happy!" Melody gasped. "Let us help, too!" Happy told her. "Here it comes!" Soul warned the group, and they prepared themselves as the ship was sliding their way. They braced themselves, and caught the front of the ship. Considering the massive size of the vessel, they were sent skidding backwards, holding on for dear life as they tried stopping it. They made it slow down to a halt eventually, but the Fusion bridge was still trying to push it forward.

Yui, Peace and Ayumi watched the others struggling to prevent the ship from moving. "Is there anything we can do?!" Ayumi asked, looking to the tower. "Fu! Please, stop this!" Yui and Peace looked to her, wondering if Fu would hear her.

Just then, they saw a sparkling of lights from a rooftop. The fairies were waving some lights into the air, their voices slightly audible. "Pretty Cure! Come over here!" they called out, over and over again. Yui dug into her pocket, then pulled out the same devices the fairies were using. The Miracle Lights. She then started waving it in the air, crying out, "Pretty Cure! Come over here!" The light started to shine as she kept chanting the same line, over and over again. She knew there were more than just the Pretty Cure they saw here. There were others out there, and they needed their help.

Meanwhile, the Smile and Suite Pretty Cure were still preventing the ship from moving. Pieces of the Fusion bridge broke off and targeted them. Melody, Happy and Soul saw them coming, but couldn't do anything to stop them. "Brace yourselves!" Soul shouted, and the Fusion pieces struck them, knocking them off the bridge and onto a different building. The ship continued to move, going down its' guided path, towards the middle of town. "Stop, please!" shouted Soul, desperate to stop the tragedy.

Just then, she noticed three people at the bottom of the path. Three familiar people in fact. It was the Max Heart Pretty Cure; Cure Black, Cure White, and Shiny Luminous. With extreme strength, they stopped the ship just as it reached the bottom of the path, holding it in place without a slight sign of a struggle. "Black! White! Luminous!" cheered Soul. "They stopped the ship!" Melody exclaimed.

Another piece of Fusion was swirling above the ship, about to give it an extra shove. However, two more Pretty Cure appeared, bouncing off the skyscrapers towards it. "Bloom! Egret!" Rhythm cried, noticing the Splash Star Pretty Cure arriving. They got in the path of the Fusion piece, producing a shield and stopping it in its' track, destroying it.

More pieces of Fusion broke off from the bridge and were about to attack Black, White and Luminous, but out of the sky came six more Pretty Cure, diving down to aid them. "It's Dream and her friends!" said Beat, noticing the team of Yes! Pretty Cure 5. They split into three, and took out the Fusion pieces before they had a chance. Cure Passion of the Fresh Pretty Cure leapt in and unleashed her power of teleportation, bringing the entire ship from its' point back into the harbor again.

As the Suite and Smile Pretty Cure jumped off the building, they saw all of the Pretty Cure who aided them. "I never knew there were so many Pretty Cure!" gasped Sunny. "Believe me, I only met them all yesterday, and I'm still surprised." Soul told them. "1, 2, 3… I can't even count them!" March stated. "Including ourselves, I believe the total number amounts to twenty-nine!" Beauty told them.

They rejoined Yui, Peace and Ayumi again, looking at all of their comrades. "It's good to have friends, huh?" Peace asked. "And it's a good thing they arrived to help!" Yui added happily. "Hey, Pretty Cure!" Happy called out, "We've gotta get Ayumi here over to that tower!" she pointed to the tower in question, "Can you give us a hand?" "Okay!" they shouted in response. "We can handle any more pieces of Fusion that crop up!" Blossom told them. Ayumi was happily amazed at all the support she was given.

"Ayumi, let's go!" Happy told her. "Sure!" Ayumi responded, and she led the Suite and Smile Pretty Cure team onward while the Max Heart, Splash Star and Precure 5 passed by them, aiding in the fight against Fusion. Soul looked back at them, seeing them get to work. "Maybe this is what Gretinal was telling me." she told herself, "That help can come from all over the place, as long as you call out for it." She looked to Yui and all her friends, then continue the charge as they entered the city, nearing the tower.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 7: The Echoing Friendship<strong>

They crossed a couple more blocks, the bottom of the tower within view. Ayumi kept calling out for Fu in her mind, hoping for him to respond. "We're nearly there, Ayumi! Keep going!" Happy assured her. Ayumi looked to her, then saw what Happy didn't see; A piece of Fusion coming at the two like a tidal wave. "Happy! Ayumi!" Soul called out as Happy just noticed it shadow over her.

Ayumi quickly reacted by shoving Happy away, then getting swallowed by the Fusion piece, which churned and sprayed into the air like a geyser, with her still in it. "Ayumi!" Happy cried out. Hoping to hear her answer. The group tried to attack the Fusion, but it shoved them back, making it impossible for them to reach Ayumi within.

Inside the Fusion, Ayumi was being carried along with the Fusion, feeling herself fade away. _All this time, I thought I had no one to turn to._ she thought to herself, _I was so convinced that nobody could understand how I felt. But I was wrong._

Her eyes slowly opened as she continued to think,_ I know I'm not alone now! If you talk things through, then people will understand you. I know that now! Fu… I want you to know how I feel, too. And I won't…_ Her eyes snapped open, _…let anything stop me from telling you! I want to see you again, Fu!_

From outside the Fusion, the others were struggling to get back to their feet again when they saw something shine within the top of the Fusion. It drew all the attention of the Pretty Cure in the city. The energy built up inside the Fusion, then it exploded, dissolving it. "It's wiping away the darkness." Melody gasped. "Ayumi." Happy followed. "That light. It looks like…" Soul realized.

The ball of light hung in the air for a few seconds, then it bursted out, revealing Ayumi completely transformed. Her hair became platinum blond and with longer pigtails. Her attire was similar to that of the Pretty Cures, white, with red, pink and aqua green lines and pieces. She opened her eyes, revealing them a brighter color than before. _"Let my feelings resound! Cure Echo!"_ she shouted, striking a pose.

"Cure Echo!" Happy exclaimed. "Ayumi became a Pretty Cure?!" Melody said happily. "Her feelings gave birth to her a new power!" Soul added, amazed at the new power Ayumi, now Echo, gained. "She is now the thirtieth Pretty Cure!" Yui cheered.

Echo floated to the ground as the girls gathered around her. Echo looked at herself, seeing her new look. "How did I become a Pretty Cure?!" she asked, looking at her hands. "Because there's a fire burning deep within your heart, just like all of us." Beat told her. "The bonds you've made with all of us, including Fu, and your wish to protect them reacted to your heart, bringing forth the power you need to become a Pretty Cure." Soul told her. "Any girl who bears that kindness in her heart can become a Pretty Cure!" Muse finished. Echo smiled at the idea of how it came about.

"Now let's go see Fu!" Happy told her. "Yeah!" Echo agreed, and the group raced onwards to the tower, where Fu still waited. "I wonder…" Yui started, drawing Soul's attention, "If I could do that, too… Wanting to protect everyone dear to me as strongly as Ayumi, do you think I could be a Pretty Cure? I mean, even though I am an artificial intelligence?"

Soul placed a hand on her head, and Yui looked at her. "I'm sure you can do it." she replied, "And if not, then use the powers already blessed upon you. After all, you are our daughter. You have already proved your potential. It'll just take time before you realize it."

Yui smiled at her mother, then looked at the path ahead and gasped, "Look out!" A black fog of energy was coming at them. They were sucked into it as it blasted in their faces. "I can't see where I'm going!" cried out Happy. "Stick together, you guys!" Soul cried out to them.

As soon as the fog passed, they looked up and around them. Echo wasn't with them anymore. "Echo?" Happy asked, looking about. "She must've gone further in!" Rhythm guessed. "She can't see where she is going." said Beauty, "How will she reach Fusion?"

Yui dug into her pocket and pulled out her Miracle Light again, making it shine as she raised it high. "We can still support Echo out here!" Yui told the others, "Just make sure she doesn't give up, and believe she can reach her!" "That's right!" Soul agreed, "Our hearts are connected to her, so we can reach out to her!" The others agreed as well, and they started cheering for Echo. "Don't give up, Echo!" Happy shouted. "Keep going, Echo!" cheered Melody. "You can do it!" Soul cried out. All of them continued to shout and support her all the way.

Just then, sparkling lights started to shoot from the sky, down into the black fog. These same lights shot out of their own bodies, shooting into the fog. "These light!" gasped Yui. "So many people are supporting Echo!" Melody gasped. "Everyone is helping her guide to Fu!" Happy said happily.

Inside the black fog, Echo was happily watching as so many lights were pouring from the sky and around her, forming a shining pathway upwards, blasting away the fog, towards where Fu was at. Echo looked into the sky, smiling. "Everyone, thank you!" she said out loud. She then stepped onto the pathway, and it made her float upwards into the sky, towards the top of the tower.

When she reached the top, she saw Fu floating there, bigger than she last saw her, but about the size of a newborn child. His eyes were closed as Echo landed on the roof of the tower, directly in front of Fu. "Fu! It's me, Ayumi!" she spoke to him. Fu opened its' eyes and looked up at her. "Ayumi…" Fu realized.

"Fu, you did all this for me, didn't you?" she asked, "I'm so sorry. You don't have to anymore!" "I haven't finished resetting everything yet." Fu responded. "I don't want you to!" Echo told him, bending down a bit until they were at eye-level, "It was all my fault to begin with! I couldn't bring myself to explain how I felt, so I blamed everything on my new surroundings."

"Ayumi is Fu's friend." said Fu, "I'll make friend's wish come true." "We already have." Echo responded with a smile, "You were there for me when I needed someone to talk to. You played with me and were always by my side. What I really wanted was to have a friend like you. That's all I could wish for."

"A friend?" echoed Fu. "I want to thank you for being my friend, Fu." Echo thanked the little guy. "Then, Ayumi is okay?" Fu asked, "You not scared? You not sad?" "I'm okay!" Echo responded, "Because I've got you now." Fu floated closer to Echo, and she grabbed ahold of him gently, holding him close. "I love you, Fu." she told him.

Though it was hard to noticed, Fu's face settled into a happy one, and his body glowed brightly. The light shot into the sky, and pushed away the dark clouds in the sky, unveiling the blue sky above. The darkness in the city slowly disappeared, bringing back the light in everything again. All of the Pretty Cures looked up into the sky, watched as everything was going back to the way it was, including the buildings and the people. Echo's body was still shining as she and Fu smiled and laughed at one another. She reverted back to Ayumi again, leaving a silver ribbon that dropped to the ground at her feet.

"The city's turning back to normal." Beat stated, looking about. "I bet, in the end, that was what Fusion that was suppose to be." Soul realized, "In truth, Fusion was a kind a gentle creature. All it needed was a friend to show it."

Just then, they noticed something. A large mass of Fusion was rising into the sky, going towards Ayumi and Fu. "What's going on?!" March asked, "I thought Fusion was suppose to be good again!" "The core is fine, but the rage of the remaining Fusion is still wanting to continue destroying things!" Yui realized, "It's going out of control!" The Smile Pretty Cure jumped high towards Ayumi, leaving the others on the ground to watch.

At the top of the tower, the black Fusion was rising from the ground like a live pillar, floating close to Fu and Ayumi. "Reset…" It growled, "Reset!" "The reset is off." Fu told it, "Ayumi's wish already came true." The Fusion expanded and shot towards the two, roaring, "Reset!" Ayumi fell to her knees, protecting Fu.

As it drew close, Happy leapt in, creating a barrier with her powers. She was struggling to fight against the large mass, and she collapsed to her knees as well. However, the rest of the Smile Pretty Cure came in, forming barriers as well. "Thanks, guys!" Happy thanked them, and she got to her feet. the five continued to struggle against the large mass.

"Come on, Happy!" Melody shouted up to the top of the tower. Soul watched the five fight against the large mass, and her emotions drove her to do the next thing. She hurriedly raced forward and jumped high to where they were. "Soul!" Beat cried out. "Mama, what are you doing?!" Yui cried. "I'm doing what my heart is telling me too!" Soul replied, looking down at them before looking up at the direction she was soaring.

Soul soared high above the Smile Pretty Cure, who looked up to see her there. "Cure Soul!" Happy cried. "I promise to be there for my friends, just like they would be there for me!" Soul shouted, ready to aid the Smile Pretty Cure wherever she can.

Fu suddenly shined brightly and faded from Ayumi's arms. The light then surrounded the Smile Pretty Cure and Soul. "Fu!" cried Ayumi. "Pretty Cure…" Fu's voice called out, "Don't let him hurt Ayumi!" "I won't let you ruin their happy ending!" Happy roared at the black Fusion. "This world's bonds will forever shine, and it's gate forever sealed from the darkness!" Soul added, and she produced her Keyblade and directed at the black Fusion.

Using the powers given by Fusion, Asuna's Keyblade shined brightly as she pulled it back, and she unleashed her 'Shooting Star' Rapier Skill, which transformed into the ' Precure Fusion Star'. The thrust sent a beam of light down at the black Fusion. The barriers that the Smile Pretty Cure were producing merged and grew bigger, with Fu's light shining out. Soul and the Smile Pretty Cures roared as they used all their strength. Finally, the black Fusion was dissolving from the light the six were producing, and it roared in agony as it disappeared from existence, destroyed by the Pretty Cure and the Fusion core, Fu.

Soul landed onto the ground again, her body glowing as she reverted back to normal. She and the five Pretty Cure smiled at their accomplishment. The sparkling lights of Fu hung over the skies of Yokohama. Ayumi looked up at the sky, wondering where Fu went. "Fu? Where did you go?" she asked, getting the six girls' attention.

At this point, Fu's voice rang out in the sky. "I'll be here with you wherever you go in this city." he said, "I'll always be here, by your side." Ayumi paused for a few seconds, then she smiled as she said, "Thank you, Fu. Thank you." "I'll always be here when you need me." Fu told her, "We'll be friends forever!"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Epilogue<span>**

Asuna waved her Keyblade, producing the Keyhole of Bond for her and Yui to cross through. She lowered her Keyblade, and turned to see all of the Pretty Cure they met, standing there, seeing her off. Ayumi was also among them, and so were the other fairies.

"I'll be back at some point." Asuna told them, "For now, I think it's about time for us to go back home." "Can't you stay a little longer?" Happy asked, "I mean, we just started being friends." Asuna smiled at her. "What are you talking about?" she asked, "We became friends at the very beginning!" Happy couldn't help but smile at this. The other Pretty Cure giggled at this comment.

"When will you be back?" Beat asked. "Whenever you're hearts need me." Asuna replied, "And who says I can't make a visit here every once in a while. Our hearts our connected." "You'd better come back!" Marine told her, "Bring us to your world for a change!" "Maybe." Asuna giggled.

"Take care, Ayumi!" Yui waved to her, "Maybe when I come back, I can become as cool of a Pretty Cure as you are!" Ayumi blushed at this comment. "I'm not sure if cool is the right word, but thank you, Yui!" she said. "And remember one more thing." Yui added. "What's that? Ayumi asked. "No matter where we are, we're still friends, right?" Yui asked. Ayumi smiled and nodded in reply. Asuna and Yui were waved off by the Pretty Cure as the two walked into the Keyhole of Bond, and disappeared.

Asuna and Yui reappeared in the same street where they got the message from Gretinal before. They looked about, seeing if things were okay. The Keyhole of Bond disappeared behind them.

"Asuna! Yui!" cried out two voices. They turned to see Kirito and Leafa race up to the two. "Where have you guys been?" Leafa asked, "It's been over a day since we last saw you!" "Did you get that thing done with Gretinal?" Kirito asked Asuna. Asuna and Yui looked to one another, then they smiled and giggled. "I think we had a 'Pretty' good time with the job." Asuna replied.

"Come on, mama!" Yui begged her, "We should finish your homework." "Oh, crap! I forgot I still have more to do!" Asuna recalled, racing back home, "I'm starting to get as dazed as Cure Happy." Yui giggled at this as the two girls raced off, leaving Leafa and Kirito watching them go. "What happened with those two?" Leafa asked. "I really gotta go on these things with Asuna." Kirito sighed. Well, at least his girlfriend and daughter looked like they had a good time wherever they were at.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: That's another episode down! Now it is time for me to tell you another anime or video game that will join the worlds of SAK: Falling Fantasy!<strong>

**Sora: Ooh! Which one is it gonna be?**

**Author: The world is based on...**

**Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha**

**Asuna: That world is gonna replace the worlds of Pretty Cure for that story.**

**Author: Sure. But this one has a different side of seriousness to the mix. Hope you all can enjoy the next installments of SAK: Final Mix!**


	4. Leafa & Palutena's Revolting Dinner!

**Remember how I said there were sixteen episodes? I lied. I added this one to make seventeen. Since Yui and Asuna had their own episode, it's only fair that Kirito and Leafa had theirs. This one is plenty more comical, and it was made from an anime short I enjoyed. If you read the title, you are bound to know which one. Anyways, just enjoy what you read.**

* * *

><p><em>(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)<em>

**Part 1**

_(While Asuna & Yui went to the Pretty Cure world)_

"…So anyway, that's where I'm going right now." Asuna told Kirito over the video phone, "I'll take Yui with me. I'm sure she would want to meet Hummy, Hibiki, Kanade and Ellen again." "I gotcha." Kirito understood, "I guess Gretinal has her reasons for having you go to the Pretty Cure world. Wish she'd ask me to join along." "Sorry. Girls only. Tell Leafa I said hi, okay?" "Sure." Kirito replied, "Have fun, okay?" Asuna smiled and nodded, then turned off her phone.

Kirito placed his phone away, then heard Leafa sigh as she came down the stair, adjusting her long hair into its' ponytail. "Man, its' so weird not having my short, black hair again in this house." she moaned. "It's not like you're not use to dealing with it before." Kirito replied, reminding her she was her avatar during the time in Sora's dimension and during the time they were traveling the worlds in their's."

"Look who's talking, Kazuto?" Leafa implied, "You're avatar looks the same as your real life person! But me…" "Yours does, too." Kirito replied, "Since you have your old avatar back, you look exactly the same as you do in real life now." Leafa looked at her brother discouragingly for her lack of sympathy.

"If you want to go back to your old look, maybe you should try cutting it." Kirito suggested. "No way!" Leafa replied, "I like my hair in this form. It'll just takes some time getting use to, that's all." Kirito smiled at Leafa. He didn't really understand Leafa's predicament, but he believed she can make it through it.

Just then, something started to glow in Kirito's pocket. The crystal, similar to the one Asuna had, started to glow. Leafa noticed it when Kirito pulled it out of his pocket. "Is that from Mistress Gretinal?" Leafa asked. "Only one way to find out." Kirito replied, and he activated the crystal. Sure enough, Gretinal's face appeared from the crystal.

"Hello there, Kirito, Leafa." Gretinal greeted them. "Hi, Mrs. Gretinal." Leafa greeted her. "Hey, Gretinal." Kirito replied, not caring for formalities, "So, what's up? I heard you sent Asuna and Yui to a different world." "Yes, and you two will be doing the same for me." Gretinal responded, "And it is the upmost important mission." At this, Leafa and Kirito were surprised and serious at this. They listened intently for the mission Gretinal was gonna send them on.

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening)_

"…What?!" Leafa exclaimed after hearing their mission. "You want us to go to a dinner party with Palutena?!" Kirito asked, not sure why this was considered an IMPORTANT mission, let alone a mission. "You see, it's summer time in Skyworld." Palutena sighed, "At that time, she goes to her summer-palace and I come to have dinner with her." "She has a summer-palace?" Leafa asked incredulously. "She's the Goddess of Light. What do you expect?" Kirito retorted.

"However, what with the dangers that lie ahead, and my preparation of the Mark of Mastery for the two of you and Asuna, I'm afraid I can't leave the Realm of Arrival to meet her." Gretinal sighed, "Palutena is a dear friend of mine, and I don't want to disappoint her. That is why I believe the two of you would be perfect for going in my place, so please do this for me."

"Why should we go to a dinner party that you couldn't even make it to?" Kirito asked, "Besides, it's just one dinner. Surely, you can reschedule it for another time." "Oh, Kazuto!" Leafa moaned, "Why don't we just go and have ourselves a good time in Skyworld? Besides, you can fully introduce me to Pit and Palutena. I've never met them outside of that battle with Oberon. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Kirito looked to Leafa with a 'Do I really have to?' kind of look. She nodded at him, then Kirito sighed, "Okay, fine. I'll go." "All right!" cheered Leafa. "Thank you, Kirito." Gretinal thanked him, "I'll inform Palutena that you are coming."

"Okay, but how do we get there?" Kirito asked. "Use the Keyholes of Bond." Gretinal answered, "Since you and Sora have locked the Keyhole there, you have the power to cross the dimension over to Skyworld with it." "Understood." Kirito replied. Gretinal smiled at Kirito before her face disappeared from the crystal.

"I wonder what kind of food they'll be serving at Skyworld?" Leafa asked. "Probably something we've never tasted before." Kirito replied, "Either way, we'd better get a move on. Let's grab our stuff and go."

It took them a few minutes for each of them to change into their special garments. Asuna had made a set of her own sandwiches during their training, and they still had some left, so they decided to bring it along. They left their mom a note saying they would be having dinner with their friends before they walked out to the front yard. Kirito produced his Elucidator Keyblade, waving it forward. He produced the Keyhole of Bond with his Keyblade, locking in the destination; Skyworld. Leafa and Kirito stepped through the Keyhole, and disappeared from sight.

When they appeared, they found themselves on a dirt road within a vast plain, with forests and mountains in the distance. "I thought this place would be set more in the sky?" Leafa asked, looking a bit disappointed. "Maybe her summer palace is in the Earthworld of this place." Kirito replied, "And that must be it."

He was pointing to a large castle right along the path. It was very tall tower in the center of it. It had white stone walls with gold and blue roofs and stones decorating it. There were many pillars that surrounded the pathway towards it. It was just as awe-inspiring as Palutena's temple. "This is her summer home?!" Leafa gasped. "I wonder why she would even want a summer palace in the first place?" Kirito thought out loud.

The two walked along the dirt road towards the long staircase that led to the entrance. It strangely reminded Kirito of when he walked up the steps towards the World Tree to take on the Grand Quest. At the front of the gates stood some Strong-arm Centurions, guarding the entrance. They looked suspiciously at the two, like how they did when they came to Palutena's temple. "We came here on invitation." Kirito informed them. "Mistress Gretinal sends her apology for not being able to come, so she asked us to come in her place." Leafa added.

The centurions looked at one another, then nodded in confirmation. "We've been expecting you two." One of the centurions told them, "Please, walk this way." They opened up the large door, and two smaller bowman centurions waited on the other side. Kirito and Leafa followed the two, looking all about the interior of the palace.

"Amazing…" Leafa gasped, "It's like it came straight out of ALFheim, and made even better!" Kirito had to admit that the architecture was similar, though since most of ALFheim Online was based on Norse Mythology and this world was more or less based on Greek Mythology, he doubt the two styles would mix.

After several minutes of walking, one of the centurions said, "The kitchens are over there." He was pointing to an area in the corner of the palace exterior, "Captain Pit and Lady Palutena should be in there." "Thanks a bunch!" Leafa replied. Kirito nodded in confirmation, then the centurions left them.

"Palutena, can you hear me?" Kirito called out, remembering he could speak to her telepathically, "It's me, Kirito. I've brought my sister with me, and we're just nearing the kitchens." "_Oh, hello there, Kirito."_ Palutena responded to him, "_Gretinal just informed me she was bringing you in her place. She promised to have dinner with me another time, so I'm not too upset. I'll have Pit welcome you in."_ Kirito smiled a bit. At least she wasn't taking it too badly.

When they arrived, the doors to the kitchen were open, and Pit was waiting at the entrance. "Kirito!" Pit greeted him, "I'm so glad I got to see you again." "Me, too, Pit." Kirito responded, then waving a hand to his sister, "I'm sure you met her in the battle against Oberon, but this is my sister, Suguha. She also goes by the name 'Leafa'. Pick either one." Although she already had these two names before, she still found it awkward to be referred to by two different names all the time, now."

"Okay, then I'll just call you Leafa." Pit decided, raising a hand, "Nice to meet ya. I'm Pit, captain of Palutena's guard." Leafa smiled and shook his hand in response. Pit then noticed the basket of sandwiches in her other hand. "Hey, are those for us?" he asked. "Yeah." Leafa replied, holding up the basket and revealing what was inside, "These are sandwiches made by Asuna." "Asuna's cooking is the best!" Kirito told Pit. "Oh, I can't wait!" Pit moaned, drooling a bit at the sight of the sandwiches, "Let's go inside so we can see what Palutena is making." "She can cook?" Kirito asked as Pit led him and Leafa inside.

The kitchen was large, with all the necessities needed for a kitchen, including several stoves that looked a bit different from the standard one. Palutena was at the center table, flipping through some sort of hologram cookbook, which looked like a touch pad, showing all of the different kinds of meals they could serve. There were a few bowls of different kinds of vegetables on the table as well.

"Hey there, Palutena." Kirito greeted her. "Oh, hello there, Kirito." Palutena greeted him, "And you must be Leafa. It's nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you as well, Lady Palutena." Leafa bowed back. "These guys brought some delicious-looking sandwiches with them!" Pit told Palutena, "I can't wait to find out what they taste like!" "You won't be disappointed." Kirito told him.

"So what are you making?" Leafa asked, looking at the cookbook Palutena was scanning through. "I'm just trying to figure that out." Palutena responded, "It has to be something healthy and delicious. Let's see here…" She scanned through the book a bit more, "Too sweet… Too spicy…" She then stopped on one meal, "Ah, here we go! Vegetable Surprise with a side of Skyworld Soup!" "Sounds good." Leafa stated. "I wonder what the surprise is?" Kirito asked.

"Veggies AGAIN, Lady Palutena?" Pit moaned. "What's wrong with eating your vegetables?" Kirito asked him. "Palutena's been a little veggie crazy for some time." Pit whispered, "I just want to have a burger or something." "Oh, Pit." Palutena giggled, "Keep eating hamburgers, and you'll turn into one." "What?" Pit said in surprise, "You're not serious about that, are you?" "Why? You've turned into a tempura shrimp before." Kirito reminded him. "Are YOU serious?" Leafa asked him. Kirito nodded.

"Don't worry, Pit. I was just joking." Palutena told the angel, tapping at the meal to get the instructions on how to make it all. "I can help you make the meal." Leafa told Palutena, "So what do we need?" "Let's see, here." Palutena muttered, "The secret ingredient is a drop of Rejuvenator, to make the carrots fantastically flavorful. To give them that extra zing."

Palutena went to a different shelf and pulled out a small, brown bottle. She brought the bowl of carrots to her, and very slowly placed one drop of the Rejuvenator onto the carrots. The carrots glowed slightly when the drop touched them. "Whoa…" Leafa gasped, wondering what kind of difference the potion would make.

"How about donuts? Or cake, Lady Palutena?" Pit asked, trying to add something he liked. "Can't you just be satisfied with the meal Lady Palutena is making for you?" Leafa asked, looking at Pit in a discouraging way. "Pit, leave cuisine to a Goddess." Palutena told him, "I know what I'm doing. Angels and humans cannot live by breadsticks alone."

Unfortunately, the Goddess was failing to notice that she was pouring a lot more than just one drop of Rejuvenator into the bowl of carrots, which continued to glow from the potion. She completely emptied the whole potion into the bowl.

Pit had his head dipped in despair, so he didn't notice. Leafa was still looking at Pit. Kirito saw the accident Palutena failed to notice, and was about to warn the two ladies when Palutena gasped, "Hold on, that reminds me. Pit, I need you to go out and gather the very ripest tomatoes for my Vegetable Surprise. Kirito, can you help Pit out, too?" "Back in a flash, Lady Palutena." Pit replied, "C'mon, Kirito!"

Kirito looked to the bowl of carrots, and saw them twitching. He wondered if that was suppose to happen. "Go on, Kazuto!" Leafa told him, "We got it covered in the kitchen!" Kirito looked to his sister, and decided to let her deal with the problem. He followed Pit out of the kitchen.

"So what's the next step?" Leafa asked Palutena, who scanned her finger across the pad to see the next instructions. "Here it is; Slice and dice the carrots, then sauté till they're nice and…" The two girls turned to where the carrots were at, but they discovered that the bowl was flipped on its' side, and the carrots gone. "What the?" Palutena asked. "Where did they go?" Leafa asked, picking up the bowl and looking into it.

The two girls looked around till they noticed where the carrots were, and it was something Leafa didn't believe at first. The carrots were literally jumping onto the cupboard near them, walking along next to where the dishes were at, and jumping down to the crates next to the cupboard. How were they doing this? They had grown hands, legs and one green eye.

"Is this the kind of 'zing' you were looking for?" Leafa asked Palutena in a puzzled manner. "Not exactly…" Palutena replied, but then smiled as she approached them, "Aren't you all just the cutest?" Leafa was surprised she could be so calm about this. The carrots all stopped and turned to Palutena. "You are on the menu, so slicey-dicey, and then it'll be time for a nice, hot oil bath."

Leafa wondered if the carrots would actually obey this. Sure enough, they did not, but instead retaliated by throwing a plate at Palutena. She ducked to avoid it. Leafa quickly produced her Sylphwing Keyblade to block a few more plates, then saw they were throwing knives and other sharp objects as well. Both she and Palutena ran behind one of the ovens and ducked to avoid getting hit.

"This is a vegetable revolution, and they want my head on the chopping block." Palutena moaned. Leafa had grabbed ahold of the Rejuvenation bottle before, and looked into it. "Lady Palutena, how much potion was there left in the Rejuvenation bottle?" she asked. "It was completely full." Palutena replied. "Then here's your problem." Leafa scolded her, waving the bottle in her face, "You placed the entire bottle of potion into the bowl of carrots!" "Oops…" Was all Palutena could say. "I'm no expert, but shouldn't a Goddess keep an eye out for how much of an ingredient they put into a recipe?!" Leafa barked.

The two stopped and looked to see one of the carrots reach the dial on the oven they were right behind, and turned it onto max heat. The siren sounded as the oven overheated, and exploded, with Leafa and Palutena still close to it. They came out of the smoke, covered in burns and soot, both of their hair frizzy and afro-like from the burning heat. "It seems they've grown some brains, as well." Leafa muttered. "This is a case of too many cooks in the kitchen." Palutena growled.

They both shook their heads of the soot, straightening their hair at the same time. They glared at the live carrots, who looked panicked at angering the two of them and ran away from them. "Let me remind you who eats who!" Palutena barked at them, and she chased after the carrots. "These carrots are gonna pay for that!" Leafa added, following Palutena.

They chased the carrots out of the kitchen, onto a different pathway than where the two came in. By examination, there must've been about three dozen carrots or so that were alive. "Get back here! You're my dinner!" Palutena barked at them. "Usually, this situation wouldn't be as weird if it was in the virtual world!" Leafa stated, her Keyblade ready to strike the carrots.

They turned along the marble road and saw a row of statues on either side of the pathway, but no sign of the carrots. "Where did they go?" Leafa asked, looking about as they ran. "First my dinner fights, then it hides?" Palutena asked, "Maybe they finally understood the food chain."

The moment they said that, they her something heavy fall from behind. They turned to see one of the statues fall on the marble road, which was unfortunately at an incline. It started rolling down the path, chasing after the two girls, who had no way of getting around it in time. "You gotta be kidding me?!" Leafa exclaimed as she and Palutena ran with all their might, screaming as they were being pursued by the runaway statue.

They saw further down the pathway a large and long rope bridge, with a large column holding it up halfway. Leafa felt it would not stop the large statue, but break it, with the two falling along with half the bridge. "Lady Palutena, please tell me you can fly?!" she begged. "Not without time and preparation!" Palutena replied, "And I don't think this statue will let us have that time!" "Ugh!" Leafa moaned, finding Palutena more and more useless by the second. Leafa produced her Sylph fairy wings, grabbed Palutena by her waist, and carried the two upwards just as they reached the suspension bridge.

The two flew over the bridge as the statue caught the poles holding the bridge to the ledge, and it flew upwards to meet them. "Pull up! Pull up!" Palutena cried. "I'm trying!" Leafa moaned, carrying the two up just enough to avoid getting hit by the statue. The statue bounced off the suspension bridge, about to meet them again.

"Can't you go any faster?!" Palutena asked. "I'm trying!" Leafa moaned, narrowly avoiding the statue, "It's not easy to fly at high speeds when you are carrying something heavy." "Excuse me?!" Palutena snarled, a blood vessel appearing on her head, "Are you trying to imply something?" "I didn't mean it that way!" Leafa barked back.

Through their argument, they failed to notice the statue coming up from underneath. It struck the two in midair, and sent them flailing in the air, falling back down as the bridge started to collapse and break apart. Leafa grabbed ahold of one of the side ropes while Palutena's foot got caught on a different piece of rope, and she was hung upside down as they were carried along with the swing of the bridge, screaming. Afterwards, the two girls moaned at the situation they were in.

_"__Lady Palutena, can you hear me?"_ Pit asked Palutena through telepathy. "Wh-what is it, Pit?" Palutena asked, trying to act normal. "_How's that Vegetable Surprise coming along?"_ Pit asked, _"I'm starting to look forward to it."_ "_Yeah, me too."_ Kirito agreed, _"Is it almost done?" _"Oh, its' coming. Chop-chop-chop! Sauté until tender! Couldn't be better!" Palutena responded. _"Is Sugu helping you out?_" Kirito asked. "Oh, she's hanging in there." Palutena responded, looking up to see Leafa doing just that; Holding on for dear life on the rope.

"_Well, the tomatoes are on the way._" Pit informed her, "_We've gotten the ripest ones, just like you asked. And my stomach is really grumbling."_ Palutena panicked a bit at this. "Wait, don't come back yet!" Palutena told them, and this got Leafa's attention. _"Why not?_" Kirito asked. "I need another ingredient." Palutena answered, "Something with a little dazzle, sizzle, pizazz! Like a…" "A squash!" Leafa suggested. "Yeah, a squash!" Palutena agreed, "Get me one of those!"

"_Squash? I swear I saw some in your kitchen._" Pit recalled. "I see all, and I don't see any squash here!" Palutena retorted. "If you saw all, we wouldn't be in this mess." Leafa muttered to herself without Palutena hearing. _"Okay, okay!_" Pit replied as the rope bridge reached the peak of its' swing, and swung back the other way again, giving Leafa a foothold on the flying bridge. _"We'll be back in a second._" Kirito told them, and their communication cut off.

"How'd it go?" Leafa asked Palutena. "I bought us a little more time." Palutena responded, "Now its' time for a quick trip down the produce isle." "The instructions said we needed to slice and dice those carrots." Leafa stated, "And I got a knack for cutting things up. Let's get to work!"

As soon as the broken bridge was within range, Palutena untangled her leg from the rope as Leafa jumped off and produced her fairy wings, grabbing ahold of Palutena's arms, and the two landed at the start of the bridge, where all the carrots were at, shocked to see them still alive.

Leafa readied her Keyblade as Palutena produced her magic staff. "_Aeroga!_" Leafa shouted, and she blasted some of the carrots into the air with a ball of wind. She did this several more times until all the carrots were airborne. Palutena used her magical powers to produce several bubbles all around her. "_Power of Caging!_" she shouted, and she sent those bubbles forward, each striking the carrots, placing all of them in bird cages.

"Yes!" cheered Leafa, making a fist pump. The two walked to all the caged carrots, Palutena grabbing one of them and holding it to her face. "Now remember your place, friends; On my dinner table." she told them. "Well, that's one problem solved." Leafa told her, "And just before things got a lot worse." Palutena and Leafa looked to one another, smiling.

Suddenly, they felt some rumbling, and looked around. "What now?!" Leafa asked. "Oh, no!" Palutena cried. What was happening was that some of the carrots turned the remaining ovens in the kitchen to max level as well, and were about to overheat. There was a few seconds when the two girls looked towards the kitchen, then at one another, and panicked as the kitchen exploded, with them once again being hit by it as well.

From a distance, Pit and Kirito were shocked to see the explosion coming from the palace. Pit dropped the tomatoes while Kirito dropped the squash. "Lady Palutena…?" Pit muttered. "Sugu!" Kirito called out. The two gathered their produce, and raced towards the palace.

It took them some time before they found both Leafa and Palutena, sprawled on their backs, covered in soot and burns. The cages with the carrots have vanished, and the carrots also vanished, too. Based on the moans, they were still alive. "Are you okay, Suguha?" Kirito asked. Leafa coughed up some smoke, then replied, "This was clearly a recipe for disaster."

* * *

><p><span><strong>Part 2<strong>

After explaining the situation to Pit and Kirito, the two gathered up all the centurions to find the vile carrots. Meanwhile, Palutena and Leafa decided to wash themselves off by going into Palutena's hot spring. It was just the thing Leafa needed after everything they were put through. "Ah! There's nothing like a soak in a hot spring after a hot day." Palutena stated. "I'll agree to that." Leafa added, "I haven't been to a hot spring in ages!"

"_Lady Palutena, I rounded up the troops._" Pit informed Palutena. "_We're ready to go, anytime._" Kirito added. Their voices was coming from a small hologram screen Palutena produced next to her, showing Pit, Kirito and the centurions lined up at the front of the palace. Thankfully, it was a one-way view, so they couldn't see either girl.

Palutena and Leafa turned their heads to the hologram. "That revolt. Those darn carrots are such a pain." Palutena moaned. "Kazuto, you'd better get rid of them as soon as you can." Leafa told him, "I want to personally put them under the chopping block." "We're on it!" Pit replied. "Don't worry about a thing." Kirito added.

Pit and Kirito turned to the centurion army. "Men, we've faced the worst carrot-astrophe of our time." Pit informed them, "Catch them, now!" As the centurions started to walk of, Kirito turned to Pit. "Carrot-astrophe?" he asked, "You had to add that kind of pun." "It wasn't a pun. That's exactly what took place here." Pit replied. "Well, either way, we'd better take care of this as soon as possible." Kirito told him, "Those carrots destroyed not only the kitchen, but Asuna's sandwiches along with it. They're gonna pay for that!" And with that, the two boys ran off to hunt down the carrots.

The two girls watched as the centurions started chasing down the carrots, which were scattered about all around the outside of the palace. "They'll skewer them just in time for dinner." Palutena sighed while she rested her head on the side while watching the troops in action. "In the meantime, we'll just relax here and take it easy." Leafa added, sitting back and watching them as well.

As they watched Pit and Kirito look around the plains for more carrots, they noticed an oversized carrot approach pit from behind. At first, they were surprised, then they discovered it was actually a regular sized walking carrot, stepping through the hologram and confronting the two. It picked up a couple of shampoo bottles near them and tossed it at the girls, ricocheting them off of their heads, before racing off. "What was…?!" Palutena started. "Looks like they missed one!" Leafa growled.

Using Palutena's magic, they quickly changed into their clothes again, and hurriedly chased after the runaway carrot. "Get back here!" barked Palutena. "Thankfully, it's only one." Leafa stated. They stepped out of the bath house and stopped, stunned at the sight in front of them.

Palutena's bath house was located in another part of the palace, with the outside have a stone pathway surrounded by canals. There was a tower in the middle of the open area, with curved decorative paths connecting the wall in multiple directions. On each of these pathways stood a row of multiple kinds of vegetables. It wasn't just carrots, but onions, squash, peppers, eggplants, and all other kinds. They even saw some carrots pouring a brown bottle of Rejuvenator onto the basket of tomatoes the boys recently got, bringing them to life. All vegetables (with tomatoes as fruit) glared down at the two girls. "You just had to say something, didn't you?" Palutena asked Leafa. "My bad." Leafa sighed.

All at once, the vegetables jumped high, merging together into something. It had legs made of carrots, with a radish and squash body, eggplant shoulders, zucchini and pepper arms and hands, and an onion face with carrot horns and one eye. It was like a gigantic cyclops, and it towered over the two girls as they stood in horror of what they saw.

"Looks like they're getting serious!" Leafa shouted as she produced her Keyblade. "Back off, you overgrown salad!" barked Palutena as the vegetable giant raised a fist back. It brought its' fist down, and the two girls narrowly avoided the attack. Leafa then raced up the fist as Palutena ran along the side, trying to get behind it.

As Leafa raced up the arm, the giant saw her and made random vegetables appear from its' shoulders, diving at her. Leafa sliced her way through the attack, but several eggplants caught her off guard, and knocked her off his shoulder. She landed to the ground next to Palutena, who stopped next to her. "You okay?" she asked. "This had better be the last food fight I'd ever deal with!" Leafa moaned, then the two saw the veggie giant eye them, and attempted to stomp on them. They hurriedly ran away before they got smashed.

As Palutena ran on the water with her magic and Leafa ran on the road, the giant started shooting vegetables from its fingertips, like they were large bullets. The two girls started zig-zagging around the attacks, which became rapid fire. "I can fix this! I can fix this!" Palutena cried in a panicked tone. Leafa produced her fairy wings and took off, narrowly avoiding an attack. Leafa turned and fired several Aeroga spells at the beast, which had no affect. She attempted her 'Wind Needle' magic skill, but it, too, didn't do much. The beast swung its' fists at her, and she narrowly avoided it.

Another swing of its' fist nearly caught Leafa had she not used her Keyblade to block it. However, some of the vegetables on its' arm came out and yanked the Keyblade out of Leafa's hand. "Hey, give that back!" Leafa cried, but the giant's eye glowed, and Leafa narrowly avoided getting hit.

She ended up falling on one of the upper levels of the palace walkways, then turned to see something laying next to a wall. It looked like a gun, with a silver body and dark blue grip. It was almost sci-fi like. Leafa grabbed ahold of it. As she gripped it, green energy shot out of the barrel, forming a blade. It was light, and it reminded Leafa of the laser sword Kirito used in Gun Gale Online.

"She looked at the weapon, then down at the place where her Keyblade was at, which had disappeared under its' veggie arm. "I'll just have to make due with what I have." Leafa stated, and she took off into the sky again.

Palutena had her back to the wall as the giant looked down at her. Palutena seemed too scared to move. The giant was about to attack when Leafa flew in, slicing one of its' horns with her new weapon. "Hey, carrot-top!" Leafa taunted, "Come and get some!" Palutena looked up to see her flying to the side, holding the weapon. "Leafa, that's an Optical Blade!" Palutena told her, "Do you even know how to use it?!" "Dunno!" Leafa replied, "But its' never stopped me before!"

The beast shot more veggies at her, but she quickly avoided it. While trying to figure out how to get close, she felt a trigger on the weapon, and aiming at the giant, pulled it. It shot energy bullets, blasting at the body of the beast. "So it really is a gun-blade." Leafa noticed, "Just like Leon and Light's weapons. Okay, then. Let's give this thing a shot!"

She started firing at the giant, delivering as much damage as she could. The shots were quite powerful, and the range was very long. It seem to do more damage than melee attacks. Palutena tried attacking with her auto-retical, but it wasn't enough. So she decided to run to the opposite side of the tower she was standing at, remembering there were weapons in it.

She kept dodging its' swings, a few of them hitting the tower. It ended up starting to tilt backwards, towards Palutena. "Leafa!" she cried out, and Leafa stopped in mid-flight to see the tower falling towards her. "Lady Palutena!" Leafa cried as she flew down to catch her. She had barely got her out of the way as the tower fell, breaking the water along the path it made, and inadvertently activated the fountains as well.

Leafa's flight limit was up, and she almost fell into the water had Palutena cast her water-walking spell on her as well. She accidentally dropped the Optical Blade into the water as she and Palutena rose to their feet. "Stop wrecking my palace!" Palutena barked at the giant. "I'm more worried about our lives!" Leafa told her.

The giant hopped into the water, firing off more vegetables at them. "What now?!" Palutena asked as they came closer. There was no way they could avoid nor block the attack. The two girls hugged each other, closing their eyes, bracing for the impact. However, it never came. They opened their eyes to see that the vegetables were floating in the water. Not only that, but the Rejuvenation spell on them wore off, returning them back to normal veggies.

"What in the…?" Leafa started. "How did that happen?" Palutena asked. Suddenly, they heard the giant roar and they turn to see it sink into the water, the carrot legs touching the water turning back to normal vegetables. They suddenly came to realize what was happening.

They climbed onto the fallen tower, where they saw a few weapons had fallen out of the windows, landing onto the fallen tower's surface. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Leafa asked. "The water must've washed off the Rejuvenation potion." Palutena responded, "So in that case…"

She produced her magic staff and called upon dark storm clouds from above them. "_Power of Maelstrom!_" she cried. Lightning bolts shot through the sky, followed by a large downpour. While it did get the two soaked, it was the giant that was affected more. All of the vegetables that made up the body started to lose their Rejuvenation magic, and it turned back into a pile of vegetables, floating along the water. Leafa's Keyblade was among the vegetables, and Leafa, seeing it, was able to recall the blade back to her hand. Palutena lowered her staff, and the storm stopped.

"Who would've though a little rain could have such a big impact." Leafa stated, shaking the rain from her hair. "We should've known; Always wash your veggies." Palutena stated, lowering to the ground to pick up a pair of claw-weapons called Wolf Claws. She placed them on either hand while Leafa reproduced her Keyblade. "I hope you have some fire after that rainstorm." Palutena told her, making the claws of her weapon ignite in flames. "I've gotta spell for that." Leafa recalled, indicating her Firaga and her 'Orbital Drop' Finisher.

The two girls stood there, glaring at the pile of vegetables aways from them. "Pit, Kirito and the centurions will be starving after this." Palutena stated. "Then let's roast these veggies." Leafa declared, charging forward. "We'll slice up a vegetable surprise that Skyworld will never for-." However, she stopped in mid-sentence, and Leafa, hearing her stop, turned and saw why.

Three large squashes, still under the Rejuvenation spell, were standing around Palutena, having appeared from out of the tower. One of Palutena's flaming claws was stuck in the mouth of one of them. "There's still more?!" Leafa demanded, "I gotcha!"

Leafa activated her 'Orbital Drop' Finisher, rocketing into the air, with balls of smoking, then at the peak, she fused with them, and became a fiery blaze as she dove at the opponents. The other two squashes opened their mouthes, ready to attack. Palutena wasn't sure what to do in this situation, nor did she realized she charged up the heat on the claw inside of the squash. The squash was about to ignite as Leafa got close to Palutena, and the two were shocked at the sight.

Outside of the palace, Kirito and Pit had just gathered all of the carrots when they heard a boom. A massive, fiery explosion ignited all around the palace, sending flames and smoke rising in the air. "Oh, no…"Pit gasped. "What happened, now?!" Kirito asked. For a moment, they didn't move. Then they realized who was still there. "Lady Palutena!" Pit cried, racing towards the palace. "Sugu!" Kirito shouted, "Please, still be okay!"

Pit, Kirito and the centurions ran into the palace, racing to Palutena's bath house. When they found the exterior, it was smoking, not from flames, but from steam. All the water had evaporated from the area, with the walls burned. The tower was broken apart and charred as well.

Pit and Kirito were calling out to the girls, hoping for their safety. They were just running past a broken part of the fallen tower when they stopped and turned to see something. "What is that?!" Pit asked. "It looks like…" Kirito started to answer. Two familiar figures turned to them, with large squashes on their heads. They started dizzyingly walking towards the voices they heard.

"Pit?" Palutena asked. "Kazuto?" Leafa added, "Can…see…" "Gourd…on…head." Palutena moaned. Their two squashes bumped into one another, cracked, then crumbled apart, revealing the two faces of the two exhausted girls. Pieces of squash were still splattered on their faces and hair. smoke fumed from after the squashes broke apart. Kirito had to suppress the urge to laugh at this situation. Despite their ordeals, their faces looked so ridiculous.

For a moment, neither girl moved from the spot, but moaned from what they had just been through. Then as they straightened themselves, Palutena said, "Pit?" "Yeah?" Pit replied, "We are going out for dinner." Palutena decided.

As Kirito looked to Pit, Leafa stepped towards him. "Kazuto?" she spoke in a warning demeanor. "Y-Yes?" Kirito stammered. "If you laugh, or even mention this to anyone, you'll be next on the dinner table." The glare Leafa was giving told Kirito that he should be serious about this. "Okay, sure." he replied, waving his hands in defense, then thinking, _And to think, this all started thanks to Gretinal._

"Achoo!" Gretinal sneezed. She had just finished with a letter to Yen Sid when she had the urge to sneeze. Latias, who was studying at a table nearby, looked up. "Do you have a cold?" she asked. "No." Gretinal replied, "Probably someone talking about me." She then paused as she looked up. "I wonder how Kirito and Leafa are doing with Palutena?" she wondered, "They must be having a really good time!" Oh, how she wish she knew…


	5. Sleeping Knight 'Yuuki' Awakens!

**This is it, another story. Sorry if I haven't been uploading for a while, but I'm starting online classes, and I want to do well in them. But now, I have been inspired enough to finish my story, and this one brings in a great character from SAOII. If you've seen the series, you know fully well who this is. Read and enjoy!**

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><p><em>(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)<em>

**Chapter 1: The Ghost in the Computer**

There are many hidden secrets of the virtual world, along with all the mysterious powers it brings. The power to bring a new reality to the people who enter into it. The power to create many sorts of new worlds that are just a hop, jump and a 'link start' away. The power to change the person's personality for the better, or for the worst. But those are some of the basic mysteries of the virtual world.

Then there are powers that are even beyond reasoning or understanding, such as the power to travel to a completely different dimension, the way that Kirito, Asuna and Yui discovered. Or the power that allows someone to be given a second life, like the deceased SAO Players gained in Sora's dimension. But even these aren't the greatest or the most mysterious powers.

One of the greatest and most mysterious powers there are come from the heart of those who have been touched by the virtual world. All the mysteries of that world can be summed up to the point that the heart affects all of them. Some would thank the person for creating it. Others would damn that person. But no one truly knows the powers of the virtual world, nor what kind of impact the heart delivers onto it, not even the miracles that come about from it.

One such example happened while Sora, Asuna, Kirito and all their friends traveled throughout the other dimension. Meanwhile, in Sora's dimension, a miraculous rebirth was about to take place. Fragments of a certain individual somehow leaked into the digital portal created by Ansem the Wise.

It happened when Asuna, Kirito, Leafa and Recon traveled to Twilight Town to reunite with Sora and his friends again. It was a call from the hearts who were touched by this individual, to be reborn in a new world, where she can start a new life. Where a new story can be written about the greatest swordsman of ALO.

_(Cue Opening 'Let's Wondering')_

In the mansion of Twilight Town, Pence was leading Hayner, Olette and Diabel down the stairs into the basement. "Come on, get real, Pence!" Hayner told him off. "It's true! I know what I saw!" Pence replied. "I'm a bit skeptical as well." Diabel agreed, "I have never heard of such things, even in 'Sword Art Online'."

"Mind making things clear on what it was you saw, exactly?" Hayner asked. Pence stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to the trio behind him. "I was working on the computer downstairs, seeing if I can find any more scraps of research data from DiZ so I could give it to DiZ when I saw it; A ghost of a person on the screen of the computer!"

"Come on, Pence. There's no way a ghost can appear in a computer!" Hayner retorted. Pence looked from Hayner to Olette and Diabel. "You guys believe me, don't you?" he asked. The two looked to one another before Olette replied, "I still don't know." "Having people cross the dimension through the digital wormhole is one thing, but to have a ghost appear is another thing entirely." Diabel added. "Fine, then!" Pence growled, "I'll just prove it to you that I'm not lying!"

He led the group into the computer room, where Ansem the Wise's computer was at, all the monitors glowing within the dimly lit room. Pence sat down and started tapping away at the computer. Hayner, Olette and Diabel watched over his shoulder, witnessing all that was happening on the screens.

"I went to the parts of the scrapped research data that DiZ wrote about the digital Twilight Town he created when I saw it happen." Pence told the others, looking at the screen where he was pulling out all the different sets of data, which were either unrecognizable or useless pieces of data, "I just hope it happens again."

"Even if it was a ghost, I doubt it would just appear in the same place." Diabel told him. "He's right." Olette agreed, "Maybe you should trying looking in a different…" But before she finished her sentence, they all noticed it.

As Pence pulled up another set of data, something appeared out of nowhere for a few seconds. It had the form of a human girl in armor. They barely saw the outline of the character and its' garments before it disappeared from sight.

The four were stunned at what happened. "What was that?!" Hayner asked. "It was the ghost!" Pence responded, "I told you I wasn't lying." "But where did it come from?" Olette asked. They all paused to think about it, then Pence said, "I wanted to show you guys that before I informed Cid about this. I'll pull him up on the monitor." It was after the fall of Organization XIII and during the time when the newly revived SAO Players were settling in Radiant Garden and Twilight Town did the two worlds finally had a way of making contact with one another. Since that time, they have been contacting one another via computer if they had anything interesting to speak about.

It took a couple minutes, but Pence finally got through to contacting Radiant Garden. Cid's face appeared on one of the monitors. "Heya, kid." Cid greeted him, "What's up? Got any new info for me on that computer?" "Sort of." Diabel replied. "We found a ghost in DiZ's computer!" Pence explained, "We don't know what it is, but it's definitely human in form."

"A ghost, ya say?" Cid asked, "Don't think I ever heard of stuff like that. Do ya have any proof?" "Not at the moment." Pence replied, "It keeps disappearing." "Can you tell us if there's anything we can do about it?" Olette asked.

"Well, I know that ol' coot, Ansem, did create a digital Twilight Town on that computer." Cid recalled, "Maybe if ya go there, you can figure out the mystery to that ghost." "Sure, we'll give it a shot." Hayner replied. "Thanks for the tip, Cid!" Pence thanked him. "No problem!" Cid replied, and Cid logged off the connection.

"I'd better go in and see what's up." Diabel decided, "Pence, can you start the machine up for me?" "What about us?" Hayner asked as Diabel checked his gear to see he was ready. "This is a virtual world of Twilight Town before we came along." Diabel warned him, "If you, Pence or Olette were to be discovered by your virtual counterparts, it could get a little hairy."

Pence activated the digital portal machine, and Diabel walked to it. "I'll see you in a few." he told them. "We'll keep the portal up for you." Pence told him. "Be careful out there." Olette added. "Find out the source of the ghost, okay?" Hayner asked. Diabel nodded, and he stepped into the machine and disappeared.

Diabel appeared out the other side, looking around. It was weird to see how it was any different from the real Twilight Town, apart from the badly damaged computer that was in the corner. "Okay, ghost. Let's see where you are." Diabel muttered, and he begun his search.

He searched around the basement and in the main lobby of the mansion. He then walked outside and searched in the courtyard and the forest, then looked around all through the town, noticing the digital counterparts of his friends and all the residence there. He tried hearing rumors from the residence, but with no such luck.

He was just going through the gates of the mansion when he saw it. At the window of Naminé's room, Diabel saw a silhouette of the same individual he saw on the computer screen. Diabel gasped at this. The silhouette turned and walked away from the window, disappearing from view behind the curtains. "Was that her?" he asked, then he rushed to the doors of the mansion, going to the room where he saw the person.

He reached Naminé's room and slowly opened up the door. He peered inside and looked around. No one was in there. He walked right in and closed the door behind him. He looked all across the room, from the table to the white walls with all of Naminé's drawings. "Is someone here?" he asked, "Come out so I can see you."

He took a few steps forward when he saw it. The back of the same individual was staring at some of Naminé's drawings. Her long, dark-purple hair fell down her back. Her pointy ears were noticeable. Her dress nearly reaching her ankles.

She didn't turn to Diabel as he walked closer to her. He reached his hand out to her shoulder, and he was able to touch it, despite her being see-through. "Who are you?" he asked her. She didn't move for a moment, then she wobbled on her feet and looked like she was gonna faint. She started falling to one side when Diabel caught her. He got to see her face. She looked like she was fourteen or fifteen years old. Her eyes were closed, her face relaxed. She was unconscious. Yet she still had a smile on her face.

Diabel paused to look at her for a second, then saw her body glow a bit, and it started to become more opaque. _She doesn't look like she's from around her._ Diabel thought to himself, _She looks more like she came from a VRMMO in my old world. But how did she get here?_

Diabel picked her body up with both hands, then carried her out of the room. He brought her down to the basement, towards the computer room. At that point, her body became completely opaque. He looked to her, then the machine, then shifted her in his arms so she could fit into the machine with him. He walked right into it, activated the portal, and was sent right through.

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 2: The Sleeping Knight Awakening<strong>

Diabel appeared back in the real Twilight Town. Hayner, Pence and Olette were surprised to see him carrying the 'ghost' in his hands. They wondered who she was, or where she came from. However, in her unconscious state, she wasn't gonna give any answers anytime soon. They decided to wait for her to wake up.

They brought her out of the mansion on Diabel's back, deciding to bring her over to the Usual Spot. They tried their best not to be spotted by Seifer and his gang, or rather anyone else for that manner. It did look weird for the four of them carrying an unconscious girl through the streets of Twilight Town. Nevertheless, they made it through without too much attention.

They settled the girl in a sitting position on one side of the room. The four of them sat around, looking at the mysterious girl, wondering. "Do you have any idea who she is?" Hayner asked Diabel. "No. I've never seen her before." he replied, "But don't forget, I died during the first floor boss of SAO, so I don't know any good fighters."

"She does look like a normal girl, apart from those pointy ears." Olette pointed out, "It kinda makes her look like an elf." "Leafa and Recon did say they played a game called ALFheim Online, and they were a sort of fairy race called 'Sylphs'." Pence recalled, "Maybe that's the game she came from." "Then she must've crossed over when they came over to our dimension recently." Hayner assumed, "But why did she end up in the digital Twilight Town and not here?"

"The fact that she was projected on DiZ's computer was one thing, but the fact that when I found her in Naminé's room was another." Diabel stated, "When I did see her, she was see-through, like she really was a ghost. Overtime, she became more and more solid until she was completely opaque. It was like she had disappeared at one point, then started reappearing little by little before coming into existence. I wonder what happened to her in the other virtual world to make that happen to her?" The team paused to think about what happen.

Just then, the girl started to make signs of movement, and Olette saw it first. "Guys! I think she's waking up!" she told them. They all stood up and gathered around the girl as she started to stir. Then, very slowly, she opened eyes, looking about. "You doing okay?" Hayner asked. For a while, the girl didn't say anything as she looked around, then she muttered, "Where am I?" "You're in Twilight Town, in a small place we like to hang out." Pence replied. "Twilight…Town?" she asked, confused.

"How are you feeling?" Diabel asked, kneeling down to eye level. The girl looked to him, then she raised her hand, scratching her head. "I'm not sure." she replied. She then looked at her hand, then down herself. "Wait, why am I still in my avatar?" she asked herself. "That's what I want to know." Diabel replied. "We found you in a digital version of our town." Pence explained, "Do you have any idea what you were doing there?" The girl shook her head, not sure what to make of this.

"I don't understand what has happened to me." the girl told them, "I remember my body felt weak, and…I died." "You mean, you got defeated in game?" Diabel asked, "You didn't revive before this?" The girl shook her head. "It wasn't like that." she corrected him, "I mean my real body was dying. I was surrounded by all my friends, and I remember fading away in the hands of one of my best friends. Then…" She looked down, not sure about what happened in between it all.

"So your body died in the real world, and you somehow ended up in the virtual Twilight Town." Diabel summed up, "I can't really explained what you just went through. Unless, you were a deceased Player of Sword Art Online like I am. But then, you should've been with the rest of them when we were all revived in this dimension." He looked to his three friends, who were just as confused.

It took a few seconds before the girl realized what Diabel said. "This dimension?" she asked, then she looked shock, "Wait, you mean this is another world?! Not a virtual one?!" "That's right." Pence replied, "And you are a real person in this world."

"Eeeh?!" gasped the girl, "I thought I was suppose to go to heaven or something! I wasn't expecting to be revived in a different world, let alone a different dimension!" "That's how I felt when I was revived here." Diabel smiled in understanding, "But you were revived much differently than from the rest of us SAO Players." The girl was still as confused as ever, not sure what to make of this.

"Can you tell us what your name is?" Olette asked her. The girl looked up at Olette, then answered, "It's Yuuki. Yuuki Konno." "Okay, Yuuki." Hayner started, "Can you stand up?" Yuuki nodded, then rose to her feet, stumbling a bit before she caught herself. "I'm Pence." Pence introduced himself, "This is Hayner, Olette, and Diabel." "Welcome you to Twilight Town." Olette added. Yuuki looked at the group surrounding her, then she smiled at them. "Okay, then." she replied.

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Lazy Afternoon')_

They stepped out of the Usual Spot, and Yuuki looked about the place in amazement. "I wonder if this is what heaven really looks like." she asked out loud. "Nah, it's no where near it." Hayner replied in an amusing manner.

At that point, Pence's stomach gave a growl. "Man, am I hungry." He moaned. "I don't think people get hungry in heaven like Pence." Olette giggled. "I was so busy with believing Yuuki was a ghost, that I didn't eat for some time." Pence explained.

Diabel laughed at this. "Well, I think we could all use something to eat." he agreed, looking to Yuuki, "You hungry at all?" "Now that you mention it, I'm really hungry." Yuuki moaned, "Whadya got here?" "There's a delicious hot dog stand that opened up in the market street." Diabel recalled, "Let's go there to eat!"

The four friends led Yuuki through the streets of Twilight Town, telling her what's around town. They were eager to ask more questions about her, but they decided to wait until later. From what they could tell, she was confused about being reborn again, but she had a positive attitude about it. They all found the hot dog stand, and while Olette and Diabel got a normal hot dog each, Hayner got himself a corn dog while Pence and Yuuki each got a chili-dog. They each got a drink and sat at a nearby table.

"So were you really one of the people in Aincrad who died during the SAO incident?" Yuuki asked Diabel through a mouthful of food. "Yeah. I was originally one of the beta testers for SAO." Diabel explained, "When we were trapped in the game, I chose to be the leader in the attack on the first floor boss. I got kinda greedy and attempted to get the final attack bonus, and I ended up getting killed."

"You got killed by your own greed?" Yuuki asked, "That's a pretty lame way to go." "Ouch. That's a bit blunt." Hayner stated. "It's okay." Diabel replied, "I was so obsessed at taking the glory and power so I could complete the game, that I failed to see that it didn't matter who got it so long as it was done. Leon taught me that. Now, I'm trying my best to become a leader that thinks about everyone." "You sure have done well for yourself." Hayner stated, "But you still aren't a leader yet, but you are a friend." Pence and Olette agreed to that. "Thanks, you guys." Diabel thanked them.

"So how did you end up dying?" Pence asked, "What made your real body stop working?" Yuuki looked down, not sure whether to answer or not. "I was born with an illness, and it ended up putting me in the hospital for some time." she replied, "I became one of the test subjects for a device called the Medicuboid."

"Medicuboid?" Pence echoed. "It's a medical full-dive system that was used for those with terminal illnesses." Yuuki explained, "It helps patients cope with the pain and suffering, but it doesn't cure them of their illnesses. I was the first to test it." "So you were the first one?" Pence asked, "That's kinda cool!"

"What kind of sickness did you have that was terminal?" Diabel asked in a concerned manner. Yuuki paused, then answered, "AIDS." The four were surprised at this. "I've heard of that!" Olette gasped. "Wait, do you still have AIDS?" Hayner asked. "She's in her avatar. She doesn't have that anymore." Diabel reminded them. "Yeah, you're right." Yuuki realized, "So now, at least I'm burdened from the pain of enduring that sickness. That's one upside of being reborn again."

"What VRMMO games did you play?" Diabel asked. "I played a lot of games in the virtual world, but my favorite was ALFheim Online." Yuuki answered, "This was my avatar in that game, in the Imp race. I was a really strong swordsman in that game. A lot of people even named me the strongest." The four gasped in amazement. "You were the strongest?!" Hayner asked. Yuuki nodded in response. "I don't know how long its' been since I died in that game." she stated, "But if someone has taken that title away from me, then I'm just gonna have to beat them up and reclaim my title!" The others giggled at this comment. How was she gonna get back, anyway?

As soon as they finished their hot dogs, they decided to go and grab some ice cream for an after meal treat. They went to a small store to get five Sea-salt ice creams. "I don't think I've tried that kind of ice cream before." said Yuuki. "You'll love it!" Pence assured her. "We eat ours up at the top of the clock tower." Olette told her, "C'mon! We'll show you!" And with that, they raced along the path towards their destination.

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 3: Absolute Struggle<strong>

They decided to take the route through the sandlot in order to get to the train station. However, what they didn't expect is to see Seifer and the rest of the disciplinary squad there. They were busy talking to a chubby man who would referee the Struggle tournaments. The team stopped after hearing Seifer arguing with the guy. "Who's he?" Yuuki asked. "Oh, that's Seifer." Hayner grunted, "He's the head of the disciplinary committee, but that's just a group he created on his own."

"I'm telling you, right now!" Seifer told the judge, "Since Leafa is no longer in Twilight Town, that means I claim her title as the strongest fighter in Twilight Town!" "Leafa?" Yuuki muttered, wondering if she heard that name right. "Well, I don't know…" the referee responded, "Who's to say she will come back again. I mean, she and her friends passed by here about a month ago."

"But she ain't living here anymore, ya know?" Rai stated. "Deserted." Fuu said simply. "And anyone who isn't coming back to Twilight Town doesn't deserve the title." Seifer finished, "So give the bragging rights to me, old man!" "Now, let's take it easy…" the referee stated.

"What a jerk!" Pence stated. "Seifer and his gang are going too far this time." Olette hissed. "Leafa deserved that title, fair and square." Hayner stated, "Bragging rights for a full year as the strongest fighter in Twilight Town, and it has barely been over five months."

Yuuki looked to Hayner. There was no doubt about who he just said. But it couldn't have been THAT Leafa, could it? Regardless, she didn't like how those guys were treating the old man. She decided to take action.

"Let me talk to Seifer." Diabel told the trio, "Maybe I can talk some sense into him or…" But before he could do so, Yuuki had already walked towards Seifer. He was definitely taller than Yuuki. "Hey there." she greeted him casually, "Why don't you leave that man alone?" "Yuuki!" Olette cried. "What are you doing?!" Pence demanded.

Hayner and his gang turned to see who was talking to them, and saw the smiling Yuuki, staring up at Seifer's face. "Back off, kid!" he told her, "I'm busy right now." He looked her over, then said, "Wait, come to think of it, I've never seen you before." "I'm new to this town." Yuuki stated, "Hayner and his gang are showing me around." Hayner looked up to see the people she was talking about, who were all glaring at him.

"Too bad you picked one of the weakest groups to hang around with." Seifer sassed. "Hey!" barked Hayner. "Listen, girl, I'm the one calling the shots in this town." Seifer warned her, "Me and my gang are the disciplinarians of this town. If you make one wrong move, we'll hear about it."

"Seems like you've already made a bad move by yelling at this old man." Yuuki stated, looking behind Seifer to see the referee look at her, amazed at her courage. "That's something entirely different, ya know!" Rai told her. "Look, this person is making a fault in this town, and I'm just fixing it up." Seifer told Yuuki. "More like bullying him." Yuuki corrected him, "You're not making a good example as the town disciplinary."

Seifer gritted his teeth at how much Yuuki was insulting her. "I warned you to back off, girl." he said, pulling out a struggle bat, "Now, you're gonna wish you listened to what I had to say!" Yuuki jumped back, about to pull out her sword, but she realized her sword was no longer there. Of course. She left it back at the tree in Aincrad. "What's the matter? Can't fight back?" Seifer taunted her.

"Yuuki!" Hayner shouted. Yuuki turned to see Hayner pull out his own struggle bat, and toss it too her. Yuuki snatched it in the air by the handle, examining it curiously before taking her fighting stance. "Teach her a lesson, ya know!" Rai shouted. "Pulverize." Fuu added. Vivi was just watching.

"Now just hold on a moment." the referee tried to stop them, "I'm glad you are sticking up for me, young lady, but…" "Don't worry about me, sir." Yuuki replied, "If I don't fight this guy, I'll never get him to understand. That's just how I do things." Hayner's group was amazed at her principle and her daring. Seifer and Yuuki were glaring at one another, waiting for one of them to strike. Finally, the first was made by Seifer.

He charged forward and tried striking Yuuki in the head. She blocked it effortlessly with her bat, then retaliated at once with a swift strike to the elbow. Seifer didn't expect her to move so fast, nor strike so hard. He backed off from her, then snarled as he started attacking Yuuki with a variety of strong attacks. Yuuki's reflexes were so fast, that she blocked all of Seifer's attacks. She knocked his struggle bat to the side, then struck on all four sides of Seifer, unleashing a 'Horizontal Square' Sword Skill. A gust of wind formed after all attacks made contact, and Seifer was tossed upwards, pained from the attack.

Yuuki stood there, ready to continue as Seifer landed on the ground, getting onto his feet again. "Whoa…!" gasped Pence. "She's incredible!" Olette stated. "I've never seen anyone react so quickly in a fight before." Hayner stated, "Not even Leafa moved this quickly."

"I'm not through yet!" Seifer growled, "Time to unleash my newest attack!" He charged forward, and started spinning, creating a tornado around him. Yuuki and everyone watching was enduring this. "What's he doing?!" Pence gasped. "If this attack connects, Yuuki's gonna get more than a little bruise!" Diabel stated, "Yuuki, run!"

Yuuki wasn't moving, but was watching as Seifer came in close. "Try blocking this!" he shouted, and he made his strike at Yuuki. His struggle bat was close to Yuuki when she dodged the attack without anyone seeing it. She then ducked down, and pulled back her struggle bat, which started to emanate a strange, purple glow. I_f he wants to use his best attack, then I'll use mine!_ Yuuki thought to herself.

Seifer was startled at how fast she dodged, then saw her strike five times from the top right of his body to the bottom left of his body, in a straight line. She then did it again, from the top left to the bottom right, creating an X. Seifer stumbled back, then ferociously tried to attack her. The attack merely brushed her hair as she tilted her body, then with a battle cry, thrusted forward with all she got, striking the intersection of the X she formed. The attack made Seifer cough, then he flew away from Yuuki, flying into a bench with such force, that he made it topple over with him.

As Rai, Fuu and Vivi rushed to Seifer's aid, Hayner and the gang rushed over to Yuuki, who held her struggle bat in her hands, amazed that she even pulled off her Original Skill.  
>"That was incredible!" gasped Olette. "I've never seen a move like that before!" Hayner stated, "Where did you learn that?" "It's my Original Skill, Mother's Rosario." Yuuki replied, "Though, to be honest, I wasn't expecting to pull it off IRL. Somehow, the attack just came to me." "I certainly can't use any of the moves from SAO." Diabel stated, "Maybe you are a special case from being revived differently? Or maybe it's because it's your Original Skill. Who knows?"<p>

The team turned to see Seifer get to his feet again thanks to Fuu and Rai. Yuuki separated from the group and walked up to Seifer, who was bent over from the pain he felt from the Mother's Rosario. He looked up to see her stop in front of him, smiling. "That was a great fight!" she said, raising a hand to him. Seifer looked bewildered, then snarled, "Save your pity. I don't need it!" "Go." Fuu told her. "Leave while Seifer has some dignity, ya know!" Rai snarled.

"I wasn't pitying Seifer." Yuuki told them, making their group pause, "I just saw he was giving his all out there, and I respect that. If you ever want to fight me again, I'll be glad to accept it." Seifer frowned at Yuuki, who was still smiling and her hand was still up. "It's a deal." Seifer replied, "You just got lucky. I'll get you next time." Yuuki grinned at him, and edged her hand a bit more closer. Seifer looked at it, then took it, shook once, then walked off, with Rai, Fuu and Vivi behind him.

Hayner and the gang raced up to Yuuki's side. "I didn't think you were gonna be that nice to him." Hayner told Yuuki. "I already beaten him, so there's no need to add more salt to the wound." Yuuki stated, "Besides, I meant what I said; He did give it his all out there. We exchanged blows, and we understood one another in our battle. That's how you gain each other's respect!" Hayner and the others were amazed at how she said it so simply. You fight to understand one another… Diabel thought to himself, I wonder if she fought that hard during her times in ALO?

"I gotta say, that's some pretty good fightin' out there." the referee stated, walking over to Yuuki and the others, "You might be even better than our current champion, Leafa. Tell me, what's your name, young lady?" "It's Yuuki." Yuuki replied, then asked, "Say, I was wondering if you can tell me about Leafa. Where can I find her?"

"Oh, she hasn't been here for about a month." the referee explained, "She went off with some friends of her's. Hasn't been back since." "Can you tell me what she looks like?" Yuuki asked, wondering if it really was the same Leafa. "Well, she's a young lady, pretty strong, has long, blond hair, tied in a ponytail, and always wears that green clothes of hers." Yuuki's eyes went wide. "Then it really is that Leafa!" she gasped, "But how? How is she?"

"What's up, Yuuki?" Pence asked. "Do you know Leafa?" Olette added. "I do." Yuuki answered, turning to the group, "But I didn't expect to see her here. Do you guys know her?" "Yeah! She's a close friend of ours." Hayner replied, "Let's head up to the clock tower, and we'll explain there." And with that, they led Yuuki towards the train station. Yuuki's mind was still buzzing at what she had just heard. If they knew Leafa, then they might even know about HER as well?

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 4: Yuuki's Decision<strong>

They reached the top of the tower as the clock struck five in the afternoon. They sat down and Hayner passed out the sea-salt ice cream. "Geez, that's salty!" cried Yuuki after she first bit into it, then stopped herself, "Wait…now it's sweet!" "It's good, isn't it?" Diabel asked her, "It was weird for me, at first. But I started to enjoy this flavor. A lot different from the food back in SAO." "Leafa and Recon also love this flavor, as well." Pence added.

"About that…" Yuuki started, turning to the group, "How do you guys know Leafa?" "I don't know her that well, but the others definitely do." Diabel stated. Yuuki looked to Hayner, Pence and Olette, who looked to one another before Hayner started, "Leafa and Recon were good friends of ours that we first met about four months ago. They came from the same world as you were from, and they were searching for some others that we became friends with."

"Others?" Yuuki asked. "Their names are Kirito, Asuna and Yui." Olette explained. At this, Yuuki nearly fell off the clock tower, shocked to hear their names. "A-Asuna?!" she stammered in amazement, "You mean she was here?! In this world?! With Kirito and Yui?!" "Yeah." Hayner replied, surprised at her reaction, "They came a week before Leafa and Recon. They were traveling with these three guys named Sora, Donald and Goofy."

Yuuki looked down, amazed. _So Asuna had been here._ she thought to herself, _She was really here. And Kirito and Leafa were here as well._ "Sounds to me like you know those guys pretty well." Diabel noticed, "And by the sound of it, you know Asuna especially." Yuuki nodded in response. "She's a really close friend of mine." she said, "In fact, she reminded me of my sister that I lost a year before I met her. It only feels like it was yesterday since I last saw her."

The four looked to Yuuki, who looked to them, wondering where to start, then she looked down at her ice cream. "In ALO, I was part of a guild called the Sleeping Knights." she started, "We were a group of people who were hospitalized with terminal illnesses, so we all were using the Medicuboid. My sister, Aiko, was the leader of our guild at first. We had been together in various virtual worlds. Some time later, my sister, and two others died."

"That's so sad." Olette pitied her. Yuuki, however, smiled as she continued, "Since we found out that two more of us were said not to last until next spring, we needed to do something incredible, something that would help us leave our mark in the virtual world. So we decided to take on one of Aincrad's floor bosses alone, with no other parties joining the fight, so our names could be on the Monument of Swordsmen."

"You took on one of the floor bosses all on your own?!" Diabel asked incredulously, recalling the first floor boss, "Was your guild that good?" Yuuki grinned at him. "We were, but we had six members, including myself, the guild leader. Since parties couldn't be greater than seven, I searched for one more Player to join in our aid. So I started challenging people to a duel."

Yuuki looked up, thinking about that time. "It was pretty fun, taking on all those Players. I ended up winning sixty-seven consecutive duels in a row." "S-Sixty-seven wins?!" Hayner gasped, the other three just as amazed. Yuuki nodded. "That also included Leafa and Kirito." she added, "And through all that, I was given the nickname 'Absolute Sword'." "Whoa!" gasped Pence.

"But how does Asuna come into this?" Olette asked. "Keep your shorts on, I was getting to that!" Yuuki told her, "Asuna was my sixty-eighth opponent. She was so strong and swift, that I decided to choose her as our seventh member. It was all thanks to her that we managed to defeat the 27th floor boss all on our own." "I had no idea she did that." Diabel stated.

Yuuki's eyes turned sorrowful as she continued with her story. "I wanted to break our relationship with Asuna. I didn't tell her about me, and what was happening to me IRL. Yet, for some reason, I felt like she would find me, despite I had not told her anything. Somehow, she discovered which hospital I was, and learned the whole truth. Even still, she considered me a friend, and did everything she could to make me happy. Using some technology of Kirito's, I managed to go to her real school, see my old hometown and my house, and so many other things. For a couple months, I spent my time with all of her friends, doing so many cool things with them. It was the happiest time of my life."

A bit of her ice cream started to melt, and a drop fell to the ground below. "However, my condition worsened, and I ended up slowly dying away. Asuna came to me in the virtual world, and I gave her my Original Sword Skill, so it could be passed on in that world. As I laid in her arms, my friends of the Sleeping Knights, Asuna's friends, and so many Players from ALFheim surrounded me. I couldn't have asked for such a happy way to go."

For a moment, there was silence amongst the group. Yuuki lifted her ice cream and bit into it, though a tear dripped from her eye, remembering that moment. "Sounds like you touched the hearts of a ton of people." Hayner assumed. "You were the strongest ALO Swordsman." Diabel recalled, "Even I would give my respects to you as you passed away." Yuuki grinned a bit at this.

"But now, you are given a second chance in life." Pence stated, "Not many people get that kind of a moment." "Except for me and the other formerly-deceased SAO players, you mean?" Diabel corrected him. "Yeah, besides that." Pence replied, and the boys laughed at this.

"What matters is that you can now live your life here, in Twilight Town." Olette told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Even so, why me? And why me alone? Couldn't my sister have been revived as well?" Yuuki asked. "Maybe you were guided here for some reason." Diabel explained, "Leon told me that people like us were born again because our hearts yearned for it, or someone else wanted us to be born again."

"Someone wants me to be reborn again?" Yuuki asked. "Think about it." Diabel told her, "All those people that surrounded you as you died. You have touched so many hearts during your short life in that world. Maybe someone or something out there felt those connections, and gave you the chance to be reborn again in this world."

"When you put it that way, I guess I really should thank those people for giving me this second chance." Yuuki stated, "And who knows; I might come back to that world again. When I do, I'm gonna thank every person who saw me off in ALFheim." "I don't know if you should go THAT far." Pence stated, "Besides, do you even know how to get back again?" "I don't know." Yuuki answered, "But if Leafa, Kirito and big sis Asuna found a way to this world, then surely, I'll find a way back!"

Hayner, Pence, Olette and Diabel all laughed at this. She made it sound so simple, even with that grin on her face. And yet, she didn't show any signs that would deny her statement. "You really are an optimistic person." Hayner told Yuuki. "I just say what I mean." Yuuki stated, "Before, I did that when I knew I didn't have that much time left in my life. So, I just didn't care what other people thought, and said what I wanted to say, and be who I wanted to be. And I'd prefer to be that way, now!"

"Well, we like you just the way you are." Olette assured her. "Absolutely!" Pence stated, "You're a lot more fun this way." "Gee, thanks!" Yuuki thanked them. She became so eager, that she completely finished the ice cream, then her face froze in shock. "Gah! Brain freeze!" she cried, clasping her head. The other four laughed at her as she continued to hold her forehead.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you something." Yuuki told Diabel after she felt the pain fade away. "Shoot." Diabel replied. "I understand I must be a special case, but how did you get revived in the first place?" she asked, "You said you died in SAO. During that time, I had seen the news about the people who have died in-game or tried having their NerveGears removed ended up dying IRL."

"It's all thanks to Sora, Asuna, Kirito and their group." Diabel answered her. "Asuna and Kirito?" Yuuki asked, "But I don't know Sora." "He is a good friend of ours." Pence explained, "He and his friends helped us out quite a bit in the past."

"From what I heard, their team somehow gathered our data when Aincrad came to this dimension for a short period of time." Diabel explained, "Afterwards, they used a machine in a town called Radiant Garden to revive all the Players again. A lot of the people stayed in that world, but some came to this town instead, including myself."

"Wow! So are there any other fighters in this town like you?" she asked, eyeing the sword around Diabel's waist. "A few, but most of them want to live normal lives here." Diabel replied, "My friends and I just guard the town from any unknown forces that try to hurt the people." "Gotcha…" Yuuki understood, looking down at the town.

Later on, they disposed of what was left of their ice cream and departed from the clock tower. As they were wandering away from the place, Yuuki crossed her arms, humming. "You know, I'm not sure what to do in the mean time." she muttered, "Is there anyway of getting back to ALO again from here?" "Diabel tried." Olette responded, "Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work, since you need your real body connected to the system in order for it to work."

"That sucks!" Yuuki huffed, "I wanted to go back there again to see my friends of the Sleeping Knights again. Plus, I would really like my sword back again." "Your sword?" Pence asked. "Yeah. Where did you get your's?" Yuuki asked, pointing at Diabel's sword. "I got mine from Radiant Garden, another world I was at before coming here." Diabel replied, "Leon made it for me."

"Is there any good blacksmith shops around here?" Yuuki asked. "No, but we can send one from Radiant Garden to here." Diabel answered, "Using the computer in the mansion, we have developed a way to send things from Ansem's computer in Radiant Garden to here. Course, they have to be inanimate objects to work." "We still have trouble sending actual people from here to there." Pence explained, "We nearly lost Hayner when he tried." "That's something I'll never forget, no matter how hard I try…" Hayner moaned, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Then let's go there and fire up the computer so I can get a sword again!" Yuuki declared, "That bat was just not my style." "Well, you have to use a Struggle Bat in order to Struggle." Hayner responded. "Let's go call Radiant Garden and talk to Leon." Diabel decided, "He's the one who got my sword." "Then let's move it!" Yuuki decided, and she raced off into the streets, followed by the rest of the pack, calling out to her to wait for them.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 5: Reformed! Twilight Knights!<span>**

Within two minutes, the team made it back to the mansion again. Pence led the team down to the computer room again. Since Yuuki was unconscious when she got carried out of the mansion before, this was the first time she saw the interior. "Who lives here?" Yuuki asked. "We're not sure." Pence replied, "It use to be the place where Leafa and Recon lived in for a while. Before that, they say a young girl used to live in this house before that. It's one of the great mysteries of Twilight Town." Yuuki looked around, admiring the place.

They entered the computer room, and Pence started it up again. The team watched as Pence started to get the connection to Radiant Garden. "Can you really contact other worlds with this computer?" Yuuki asked, looking at all the screens. "Only Radiant Garden." Diabel replied, "And that's only because that world was where me and the rest of the SAO Players were revived from."

"Do you have a connection yet?" Hayner asked Pence. "Give it a second." Pence responded, "It's just starting to upload a link…" They all watched and waited for the screen to get a visual. Finally, Cid's face popped up once more on the screen.

"Heya, kids." Cid greeted them, "Did ya get your ghost problem all settled and done with?" "We have." Olette replied. "And we would like to introduce you to that ghost." Diabel added, nudging Yuuki closer in so Cid could see her, "This is Yuuki Konno. She somehow appeared inside the digital Twilight Town after she died in the other dimension." "Nice to meet ya!" Yuuki greeted Cid, waving a hand at the screen.

"So she's another one of you deceased SAO Players?" Cid asked, "Why wasn't she part of the last batch of kids that were revived?" "She didn't die in SAO." Diabel replied, "She died when her real body died while she was playing ALO, and her data came to this dimension, where it was reassembled."

"Sounds pretty crazy, but I've heard crazier." Cid acknowledged, "Well then, Yuuki, welcome to the land of the living." "Thanks!" Yuuki replied, then started, "Hey, is it true that you can handcraft a sword for me there?" "We can, but not without Leon's permission." Cid replied. "Can you get Leon for us so we can talk to him?" Diabel asked. "Sure thing." Cid replied, and he walked away from the screen.

A minute later, Leon stepped into the screen. "Hey." he greeted them, "I heard everything from Cid. Looks like you got a strange, new resident to Twilight Town." "I'm not that strange…" Yuuki huffed.

"In any case, Cid said you wanted a sword made for you?" Leon asked, looking at her. "Yes, sir!" Yuuki replied. "I just want to make sure you are prepared for it." Leon warned her, "Fighting with a sword in the online world and in real life are two different scenarios. There is no reviving, and wounds are more painful to take. You must only use a weapon when it is necessary. So I'll ask again; Are you sure you want to want to carry a sword?"

Yuuki paused, thinking for a second. He did have a point; Carrying a sword in real life meant that she would have to take up the responsibility of using it, whether it was for a good cause or not. Even so, she wanted this. It was the only way of life she knew. She wanted to take this life at the fullest, but still be the same person as she was in ALO. She looked at Hayner and Olette on one side of her, then at Diabel on the other side, then to Pence, who was looking back at her from his seat. She took a deep breath, and exhaled, then looked up determinately.

"I'm ready." Yuuki told Leon, "I do want to have a sword at my side, so I won't lose myself or anyone around me. I was given this second life because others want me to have that, so I should do everything to protect their wishes." Leon nodded in approval. "Sounds like you are ready." he confirmed. The others looked to her, smiling at her resolve.

"Now the only thing that's left is to tell me what kind of sword you had in mind." Leon stated, "What kind of weapon did you use in the online world?" "A light one-handed, double-edged sword, with a thin blade, like a rapier." Yuuki described, "It was also a dark-purple color. Will that work?" "Sounds simple enough." Leon replied, "It should be done by tomorrow morning in Twilight Town's timeframe." "Okay!" Yuuki replied happily. "I'll be in touch with you." Leon told her, and the screen went blank.

"Well that takes care of that." Pence stated, turning to the group, "So what now?" "Now it's time to head back home." Olette answered, "It's getting pretty late, and we have homework to take care of." "Yeah, yeah…" Hayner sighed. "But what about me?" Yuuki asked, "I don't really have any place to live, right now." "You can come to my house." Olette answered, "I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind if you slept over. Besides, I'm the only other girl here, so no peeping toms." At this, Hayner, Pence and Diabel made accusations of denial for being known as 'peeping toms'.

It was hard to tell when the sun started to set in that town in Yuuki's case, but Olette explained as they walked home that most of the day, the sun looked as if it was setting, hence the name 'Twilight Town'. "Doesn't that confuse you, at all?" Yuuki asked her. "If you lived here your whole life, then you're use to it." Olette answered.

Olette's house was actually a two-story apartment in the Tram Common part of Market Street. After introducing Yuuki to her parents, she explained to them that Yuuki was part of the Aincrad Relocation Program, or A.R.P, which was the given name for the formerly deceased SAO players to be relocated in Twilight Town and Radiant Garden without too much suspicion. Olette explained that since Yuuki was a late-comer in the program, she needed a place to stay before they found a spot for her to officially live at. Her parents understood, and allowed her to stay for a while.

Olette led Yuuki to a guest room, where she would live in, and Olette's room, where she picked out some clothes for Yuuki to wear. Their figures were about the same size, though Yuuki was more muscular in the arms and legs. She gave Yuuki a purple, short-sleeved blouse with a white sun design on the right side, and a pair of beige shorts.

Olette suggested that Yuuki should take a shower so she could freshen up. Yuuki did just that, then placed on her new clothes, though keeping her boots and fingerless gloves. She kept the rest of her dress and armor in a drawer for safe keeping. She spent the rest of the evening talking with Olette, having dinner with her family, then they all went to sleep. Yuuki still had her sport bra from her uniform, and borrowed some pajama bottoms from Olette.

In the middle of the night, Yuuki woke up once again. She was having trouble sleeping. She walked over to the window, and opened it up, looking out into the streets. It was quiet. A few of the neon signs were still lit in the dark.

_It's hard to believe what has happened to me._ she thought to herself, _I ended up coming back to life in a new world. Not only that, but from what Olette said about Asuna and the others, their lives have changed, too. Keyblades, magic, and those friends, Sora, Donald and Goofy. How much did Asuna change from the last time I saw her? I hope she's still the same person I know._

She heard the sounds of a group of people down below, and saw a half-dozen people walking along the path, talking to one another and laughing. Then it occurred to her, _The rest of my friends in the Sleeping Knights. Siune, Jun, Tecchi, Taiken, Nori… I hope you haven't given up after I left. I won't forgive you if you have. I just wish I could be there again, just to tell you that I'm doing fine._

Yuuki looked up at the night sky, seeing all the stars above her. She then thought of something. _I'll just have to do something that proves to you that I'm still alive and kicking, just like how we did for my sister._ She decided, _And I know how to start. Starting tomorrow, I'll get right to it!_ She smiled happily as she closed the window, and went back to sleep again.

The next morning, Yuuki was so anxious, she polished off her breakfast in minutes, and raced out the door, dressed in her ALO uniform. "Where are you going?!" Olette cried out to her as she raced out the door. "I'll tell you, but only after you get Hayner and the guys over to the Usual Spot!" Yuuki replied, "I want to do something there!" Olette wasn't sure what she meant when she said that, but she decided to go along with it.

After getting the three boys together, they went over to the Usual Spot. They entered inside, where they saw Yuuki hunched over a wooden arch, drawing something form it. "What are you doing there, Yuuki?" Hayner asked, looking over her shoulder. Yuuki turned to him and grinned. The rest of the gang grouped together around and looked at what she was had drawn the symbol of the Sleeping Knights on it; a heart with wings, and a small star on top. In addition, there was an added part; a setting sun right behind the heart.

"What is that?" Pence asked. "It's our symbol." Yuuki answered, "Starting today, we're going to become a guild!"

"What?!" cried the four. "When did you decide that?" Hayner demanded. "Last night." Yuuki replied, "I want to do something that will show others that I'm still here." "And who exactly are you trying to tell this to?" Diabel asked. "Everyone who knew me in ALO, including my guild mates of the Sleeping Knights, Asuna, Kirito, Leafa, my sister, all of them! I want to show them I'm still around."

She then looked back at the four behind her. "And since you guys are my friends, I wanted us to become a guild so everyone knows not only me, but all of us." "I know you want to do this, but this is all so sudden." Olette stated. "I don't know. I think it's a cool idea." Hayner retorted, "We can give Seifer's Disciplinary Squad a run for their munny."

"Did you have an idea for a name for our group?" Pence asked. Yuuki stopped to think about it. "I want it to be something that shows that I'm here, but it should represent all of us, too." she muttered, her eyes closed, then she opened them with an idea on mind. "I know! How about we call ourselves 'The Twilight Knights'?"

The four looked to one another, then smiled and nodded. "Well I'm sold on the idea." Hayner replied. "Yeah! Sounds like an awesome name!" Pence agreed. "But what are we gonna do in our group?" Olette asked. "Protect our town, of course." Diabel replied. "And help the citizens anyway we can." Yuuki added, pointing a finger at them, "We should do the opposite of Seifer's group. Instead of punishing people for their wrong-doings, we should help them overcome their problems, and aid them anyway we can!"

"Sounds like we got everything set." Pence stated. "Everyone except for a leader." Hayner corrected, "Who's it gonna be?" "You, of course." Yuuki responded, pointing to Hayner, "You're already the leader of the group, so you should still be it. Course, I want to be the sub-leader. All those in favor of that idea?" "Aye!" cried the rest of the team, punching the air.

"Let's start by going to the mansion." Pence told the group, "Leon said that Yuuki's sword should be done at this point. Let's go pick it up." With that, the team raced out of the place, towards the mansion. Yuuki was smiling at how things were forming. Diabel was right behind her, thinking about what she had just started. She's really pushy, but she's honest with herself. Diabel stated, She could really change our lives in many ways.

After a few minutes, the team was inside the computer room, with Pence at the computer. He pulled up the connection with Radiant Garden, and within twenty seconds, Cid's face appeared.

"You're really lucky this doesn't cost anything, or I would warn you we should stop calling like this." Cid joked to them. "We just want to know if Yuuki's sword is ready, yet." Hayner stated. "Where's Leon?" Yuuki asked. "He's on his way to Ansem's computer." Cid answered, "It should be there in a few minutes. It's quite a beauty of a blade." The team looked to one another, excited.

And just like Cid said, the digital transporter in the computer room suddenly activate, and a sword and sheath materialized. The sheath was a black, leather material, with a red loophole attached to it. Yuuki walked over to where the blade was at and picked it up. It weight of the sword was The hilt was similar to her old sword, except the guard was rounded.

She grasped the hilt, and pulled out the sword. It was just as what she wanted; The blade was deep-purple, the silver edges of the blade were sharp. She held the blade aloft, like she was positioning herself for combat. The others backed away from her, knowing what she was gonna do.

She took a deep breath, exhaled, then with her eyes set, she slashed the blade several times and at great speeds. The feeling of the blade was just right for her. She stopped after a thrust, holding her blade in position. The gust of wind that came from her final thrust blowed across the room. The team was awe-inspired at her actions.

"Looks like you got the hang of that blade quite well." Cid stated, seeing her skills through the blade. "It feels great." Yuuki stated, placing the blade back in the scabbard and attaching it to her belt, where her last blade was at before.

She then turned to the screen and bowed. "Thank you so much for the sword." she thanked him, "Tell Leon I especially want to thank him!" "No prob." Cid replied, "Just be sure not to send it swinging willy-nilly." "I won't." Yuuki replied, "I'll only use it when it is necessary." "See you later, Cid!" Pence called out, walking over to the computer. The team waved goodbye to Cid, then the computer screen went blank.

The team looked to one another. "Now it's time for the big project." Hayner stated, "Making Twilight Knights' name well known all throughout town." "That shouldn't be a problem." Olette stated, "We can make posters, and start doing our duty as a guild." "I know of a few SAO Players around town." Diabel stated, "Maybe they would like to join our group."

"Don't you think we should clean up our place so it would be more welcoming?" Yuuki asked. "Good thinking." Olette answered, "We can all pitch in on cleaning it up, and putting up the sign. "Just how much do we need to put into in order to make the Twilight Knights official?" Pence asked. "Enough." Hayner answered simply.

Yuuki looked to all of her conversing friends, then looked down, smiling a bit. "Thanks, you guys." She thanked them, getting their attention, "I know I had just arrived, and I'm pushing you guys with this whole guild idea. I'm glad you had to deal with me like this."

"It's no problem." Hayner replied, "Actually, I was thinking of making our team an official group before you arrived. You just pushed the idea ahead of schedule." "We know you mean well." Pence added, "Don't get discouraged by it." "Plus, it will make me feel a little more comfortable having a person like you around." Diabel stated, "Maybe you can teach me a few of those moves of yours." "Same here!" Hayner added, "I want to win at the next Struggle tournament, and I want to be at top form."

Olette placed a hand on Yuuki's shoulder, and Yuuki looked to her. "We're glad to have you as a resident of Twilight Town, Yuuki." she told her, "Let's do our best together." Yuuki felt glad to be excepted by her friends. She smiled as a few tears formed in her eyes. "Thank you." she thanked them. She knew this new life was gonna be even better than the last. And hopefully, she could see Asuna in the near future, and tell her about how she met many new friends, and how she became sub-leader of the Twilight Knights.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: So the 'Absolute Sword' makes her debut in the 'SAK' series, and will be apart of it when 'SAKIII' comes out (Which will be published when KHIII comes out).<strong>

**Asuna: Don't you think you should tell them the next world for 'Sword Art Kingdom: Falling Fantasy'?**

**Author: You're right. In fact, this one is gonna be interesting, because it's a Disney world, from the movie...**

**Maleficent**

**Sora: Hold on! You mean you are doing a world from 'Sleeping Beauty'?**

**Author: No they already did that. Maleficent doesn't have the same storyline as 'Sleeping Beauty', so having two different dimensions means two different storylines for the same story.**

**Sora: When you put it that way, I guess it makes sense. But I'm still a little confused.**

**Asuna: You're not dealing with that world. Kirito and I are, so stop complaining!**

**Author: Also, I have uploaded new pictures to my DeviantART webpage. Three of them contain the new attire for Kirito, Asuna and Leafa for 'SAK: Falling Fantasy', and three others contain 'DLC' Soul Drives for the same trio that are exclusive to the Final Mix. In case people can't find my page, go to DeviantART and look for the name 'Jacksonswordsman'. I'm sure you'll find it! Until next time!**


	6. Kayaba's Diary! A Coded Heart!

**Another story complete. Many people asked me how a certain Kingdom Hearts game seemed to fit in my story, so I decided to do just that, with a bit of a twist. Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p><em>(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)<em>

Kayaba opened the door into his bedroom, and walked straight over to the desk, where his laptop was at. He sat down and booted it up. As it was starting, he recollected on what he had just experienced only a few minutes ago. This was definitely something he had never thought of experiencing, nor did he think it would change his ideals in any form.

Just then, Jiminy Cricket hopped into the room, jumping onto the desk. "Are you doing okay, Kayaba?" Jiminy asked, placing his journal down next to him. "I'm fine." Kayaba replied, looking to the cricket, "But what we had experienced was fascinating, without a doubt. I'm planning to write down all that we have experienced from that journal of yours."

Kayaba and Jiminy looked down at the small journal on the table. Kayaba paused a bit, thinking on how such a big adventure came from such a little book. Then, his computer was ready. He imputed his password, and loaded his journal log. He looked at the blank page, wondering where to start. Finally he started typing:_ "The tale begins with a blank book, and a coded heart…"_

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening)_

_I came to Disney Castle after hearing about its' existence from Kirito, Asuna and Sora. They requested my presence to King Mickey just before they went back to their own worlds and dimensions. Donald and Goofy picked me up, and brought me before his Majesty._

_After conversing with him, Mickey decided to make me part of the science department of Disney Castle, responsible for the research of technology and magic in that world. This was a bit of a challenge, since everything was far different from the technology I was use to in my old home world, and I use to dismiss magic as a make-believe source._

_Then there was the research of Ansem the Wise. After gathering all the info I could from the computer and books in Radiant Garden, I started to follow his research in the heart. From what I have understood from all his research and journal entries, one conclusive fact was understandable; Ansem was completely confused about the heart._

_How does it work? What makes a heart choose good or evil? Is there a pattern that all hearts have? None of these answers were clearly decisive. They were all merely theories. The only fact was that the heart is unpredictable and nearly impossible to understand. That must've been why Ansem was so keen on unlocking its' secrets._

_I, myself, have never truly understood what a heart is capable of. From Kirito's standpoint, in can overcome the system for which a program is suppose to limit. In truth, Kirito's heart was quite fascinating when I once ruled over Sword Art Online. He had a way of fighting against any obstacle in the system. That was how he nearly defeated me in our first match, and how he defeated me in our second battle._

_Then there was Yui, an AI I had created as a Mental Health Counseling Program, and the first prototype for SAO. I had asked Cardinal to prevent her from encountering with the Players, and yet she still disobeyed orders. Not only did she made herself in contact with Kirito and Asuna, but stopped a monster from killing them. And the love that the two shared for Yui was what saved her in the end._

_The more I researched in Ansem's work, the more obsessed I became in wanting to understand the secrets of the heart. Was it because Ansem's curiosity somehow infected mine? Or maybe it was because I wanted to know something a fellow scholar was unable to decipher? I wasn't sure what to think my reasons were. All I know was that I was gonna learn more than I can imagine._

* * *

><p><em>Nearly three weeks passed since I took up residence in Disney Castle when Jiminy Cricket, the royal chronicler, came to Mickey and me with some news about the first journal he had written about Sora's journey. Before, the journal had no words within its' pages, except for the words 'Thank Naminé'. None of us even knew who Naminé was, though I had a feeling King Mickey knew, but didn't say anything.<em>

_Now, however, there were a few more words added to the journal that Jiminy did not write down. 'Their hurting will be mended when you return to end it.' Jiminy claimed he never let the book out of his sight, so how did the words get into it? In order to figure it out, Mickey suggested to look further into the journal._

_Luckily, there was a machine inside of Disney Castle that was made for just this kind of situation; a digital scanner that can analyze the data within the journal. It was completely farfetched, since the journal wasn't a digital program to begin with. Nevertheless, with the help of the royal engineers, Chip and Dale, we assembled it inside Mickey's library. Donald and Goofy also joined in out of curiosity._

_The machine produced itself, and we begun scanning the journal. To my astonishment, I saw that there really was data inside the journal. More precisely, there were an assortment of worlds that were inside of the journal. How it came to be there, I have no idea. What came afterwards was even more startling; There seemed to be some viruses inside the journal that prevented us from analyzing the message._

_After figuring out a way to deal with the problem, Goofy suggested that someone should go inside the journal and fix the data. Since we weren't able to go in ourselves, we needed to find and AI inside the journal and ask that person to understand what was going on in the journal._

_I personally suggested creating a digital transporter from ALFheim Online to the journal so that Kirito, Asuna and Yui could enter within. They have had digital experience, so I thought it was a logical assumption, but Mickey dismissed that idea, not wanting to put the trio at such great risk. His Majesty cared a lot for their safety, despite not knowing them as long._

_Then King Mickey had an idea; He knew of a person that was inside the journal that could help us. That person was Sora. I found it confusing as to why they would choose him, but I went along with it. I rewrote Sora's data, granting him the power of the Keyblade so that he could, as Dale said, 'un-glitch' all the journal data. Based on all the data in the journal, this Sora was just like the one I had met before, but a different version. I wondered how this digital version of Sora would react compared to the real Sora?_

_Just as we were about to start, errors started to form within the data. I stayed behind to keep an eye on the system while Chip and Dale went to research the problem next door. After a couple minutes, everything was fine again. Not bad for a couple of chipmunks._

_As Mickey and I explained to Donald and Goofy about what we were doing, something happened on the monitor; Someone in a black coat appeared in front of the digital Sora. Jiminy stated that he never written this character into his journal. Sora pursued him, learning the skills with the Keyblade, then exiting the place we had created him in._

_He arrived in Sora's real home world, the Destiny Islands. After Mickey introduced himself to Sora and explained what was going on, Sora eagerly decided to help out, despite on how farfetched it was from his point of view. He decided to research the mystery behind the bugs in the journal._

_As he begun talking to the residence of Destiny Island, I had a thought; Even though it was just data, this version of Sora was just as lively as the real one. He had a free will, and yet he wanted to help complete strangers fix up a world he just entered into. I wonder if he has a power that is like Kirito's? If so, what is it?_

_Through Sora's research by talking to his friends, he discovered that not only more of those blocks were being produced all around the place, but that the man in the black coat was heading the the Secret Place behind the waterfall. He went into the cavern, and examined the place. Suddenly, an earthquake started happen, followed by Sora's Keyblade producing itself, then unleashing a burst of white light that not only lit up the screen, but engulfed our group as well._

_When we came to, we had no idea what had happen. Not only that, a new entry appeared in Jiminy's journal: 'There's a road for the taking if you end the world's aching.'_

_In the digital world, we saw the man in black return, saying the same words to Sora before disappearing in a black portal. He then left a Keyhole on the door in the cavern Sora was in, saying 'To make this place whole, the Keyhole's the place.' With this message, Sora unlocked the Keyhole with his Keyblade, and entered within._

_When he came to, he found his island in chaos, and found the source of the glitches within the world. It was a Heartless known as the 'Darkside'. He fought it, and defeated it, sending it into a black hole in the sky. However, Sora got pulled in with it, and disappeared from the monitor._

_As we tried to track him again, a new entry appeared in the journal. It said 'There are more hurts than the one you have just undone.' I assumed that meant there are still plenty more problems in the journal than what we just dealt with. After that, we got a video from the journal, and it contained something that Jiminy did not write in his journal. What it was didn't seem fake, but what was it? Before we could think any further, we found Sora again, in a new world in the journal._

* * *

><p><em>Sora was now in a world called 'Traverse Town', and there were even more bugs in it than the last world, which had been finally restored. Now, Sora had to investigate this world. He talked to Cid, who explained that Donald's nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, were investigating the abnormality in the town, but have not come back yet.<em>

_As Sora went to bring them back, I learned that this same world was the one Donald and Goofy first met Sora, and started their journey together. That was also where they met the members of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee._

_I acknowledged that I have never had a person I could call a friend in 'Sword Art Online'. Considering I was Heathcliff in that world, and the head of the Knights of the Blood Oath, I felt I didn't have time to make friends, nor were they necessary. Mickey, Donald and Goofy stated that everyone needs a friend, no matter where they were or who they are. Even I needed to have someone to call a friend. In truth, I didn't know what makes someone really a friend, but Donald and Goofy stated that they were his friends, and so were Sora, Kirito, Asuna and the rest of the gang. I had not thought of them as friends of mine, but maybe they were, and I hadn't thought about it._

_Inside the data-scape, Sora found each of the nephews, who each had a fragment of light, which when put together, formed a Keyhole with one piece missing. As Sora brought Louie back, the man in black appeared, giving him the last piece before disappearing. Sora merged the pieces together, creating the Keyhole. He unlocked the Keyhole, defeated the Guard Armor Heartless within, locked the Keyhole, and removed the glitches from Traverse Town._

_As Sora moved on to the next world, we got another new entry. It was the same one as the one we got before; 'There are more hurts than the one you have just undone.' After that, we got another video that Jiminy did not write in his journal. From all of this, we deduced that every time Sora de-glitched a world, it gave us more pieces of info that we didn't know about, and more journal entries, giving us more clues._

_Before we got any further, we discovered something shocking; Heartless appeared in the study. Mickey defeated them, and attempted to go outside of the study, but the door was shut, and we had no way of opening it. We were trapped. Then another new entry appeared in the journal: 'Undo the hurt to unbar the way.' I deduced that we had to remove the glitches in order to escape the study. And for that, we needed Sora's help restoring the world. Just as we figured that out, Sora reached the next world._

* * *

><p><em>Sora was now in 'Wonderland', which I remembered reading when I was just a kid. I'd never imagined there would be a world like that in this dimension. Perhaps there are some stories from my home world that are actually real somewhere else. However, this world also had a lot of bugs in it.<em>

_Sora was confused as to how he got there, and knew if he freed another world from the glitches, he would be sent to another. Surprisingly, he didn't mind. He was simple-minded and overly-helpful, far different to any other person I have met. I wonder if this was the reason Kirito changed from before._

_Sora discovered Alice, who had no memory of who she was or what she was doing in that world. Thanks to the Cheshire Cat, we discovered that the people in that world seemed to have lost pieces of their memories as well. Alice's memories were scattered around the world in the form of blue orbs called 'Inklings', and by giving them back to her, her memory can be restored._

_As Sora went to search for the Inklings, we discussed about while the first journal had a bunch of glitches, the second journal that explained Sora, Kirito and Asuna's journey in this dimension was still fine. Jiminy guessed that it had something to do with the girl, Naminé, for which was mentioned in the pages of the first journal. I asked for Mickey to see if he knew anything about Naminé, but he said he didn't know, but to wait to see what happens inside the journal._

_After a while, Sora managed to collect all the Inklings he could find, and gave them to Alice, who talked things through with what she remembered, finally recalling where the Keyhole was; In the Queen of Hearts' castle._

_Alice led Sora to the courthouse of the Queen's castle, where the Queen of Hearts was. She didn't take kindly to their presence, and even went so far as to accuse them for stealing her memories. With an unfair verdict, she sentenced them by offing them with their heads. Before the card soldiers started with their assault, Alice told Sora that the Keyhole was in the birdcage next to the Queen's throne before leaving._

_Sora quickly lowered the birdcage while avoiding the card soldier. Sora opened the Keyhole, defeated the Trickmaster Heartless within it, and debugged the world, making everyone memories back to normal. However, the same message, 'There are more hurts than the one we have just undone', meant that they still needed to repair more of the journal._

_We saw the man in black again, confronted by Sora. He said something to Sora before disappearing in a black portal. Sora pursued him, and disappeared from the monitor again. As we wondered who the man in black was, something was banging on the door. To our surprise, it was the digital Sora, who we finally met face-to-face._

_As Sora explained he was following the man in black, we discovered something on the monitor. It was us, staring at the screen like we were. Looking to the viewpoint of the screen, we saw the man in black appear before us, unveiling his hood, revealing himself as Sora's friend, Riku._

_He was the digital version, used to keep all the data of Jiminy's journal. What was even more surprising was that we ended up inside the Datascape thanks to Riku. I had no idea I ended up back in the digital realm again. The proof of it was when Riku connected the monitor we were at to the monitor in the real world, revealing Chip and Dale's voices calling to them._

_As we pondered on a way to get back home, a hacker intruded from the outside. Riku did his best to stop it, but the intruder ended up cutting our link to the real world. I stepped in to see if I could do anything, however, the hackers had done a pretty good job preventing us from leaving. The only way to escape was to destroy the bugs in order to repair the link._

_Sora eagerly volunteered to help us out. I asked him for what purpose would he gain from helping us, but he replied that there wasn't any purpose, that it was because they were friends. And with that, he left to go to the next world._

_I'd never imagined a more helpful person in my life. He would help out total strangers, and call them friends the second he met them. He was even suspicious at Riku when he didn't reveal his identity before, then turn around and be okay with him afterwards. And this is coming from an AI remake of the Sora from reality. I wonder if Kirito or Asuna had the same confusion as I did, or were they use to this?_

* * *

><p><em>We next saw Sora arrive at the Olympus Coliseum, a world that surrounds Greek mythology. The next set of bugs were now inside the coliseum, and Sora needed to find the Keyhole to enter within, and destroy the monster inside the coliseum.<em>

_After a request from Phil, Sora entered the labyrinth inside the coliseum, and found Hercules, the man with the strength of gods. Hercules explained that Hades, the Lord of the Dead, was responsible, and that they had to find him. As they went further in, Sora met Cloud, who was being used by Hades to defeat Hercules, but the plan backfired, and Hades left Cloud, who disappeared further in the coliseum._

_Sora and Hercules learned from Hades that it wasn't him that turned the Coliseum into the labyrinth. Being the kind-hearted heroes, the two decided to find Cloud again. After talking some sense into him, they got Cloud to join them in finding the boss of the labyrinth._

_Sora, though a digital being, has a way of bringing people out of despair and grief. I bet that was what made Kirito decide to give me a second chance in life, too. Sora has a way of reaching the light inside people's heart, no matter how vague a person sees it, and bring it out. 'A boy who's heart can't be touched by the darkness.' That is how Ansem the Wise described Sora._

_They eventually found it; It was Cerberus, the gatekeeper of the Underworld. Sora, Hercules and Cloud all fought and defeated the beast. Turns out, Hades was the one behind the trap after all, and attempted to beat the trio himself. However, they knocked him out, and he disappeared. This got the Coliseum back to normal._

_Even though the bugs were gone, there was no new message nor a video to go with it. It was the Data Riku who was giving them most of the messages, and the video's originated from Riku's mind whenever Sora got rid of the bugs in each of the worlds._

_As we realized this, we discovered a new character approaching Data Sora, and he, too, was never mentioned in the journal. It was Pete, a foe that was explained in the second journal. Not only that, it was the real one, from the outside world. After claiming the worlds in the journal were his, he left, and Sora pursued him to the next world._

* * *

><p><em>Sora arrived in Agrabah, a world that represented the Arabian Nights stories. Pete disappeared, and so did most of the people in Agrabah. However, the bugs and Heartless were still in the world. Sora met Aladdin, and saved Princess Jasmine from Jafar, who wanted to become ruler of Agrabah.<em>

_The rescue was short-lived, as Pete created a replica of the magic lamp that Aladdin had, and Jafar used its' power to stop time, and disappear with Jasmine. Fortunately, Sora was still able to move, and took Aladdin's magic lamp from Jafar's avian servant, Iago, who attempted to steal it. After rubbing it, the Genie of the lamp appeared, who was as crazy as they come. With his assistance, Sora pursued Jafar to the Cave of Wonders._

_While they transported there, I questioned Donald and Goofy on how Kirito, Asuna and Yui reacted to all the people they made in their journey, and how they became friends. They responded that Sora might've helped a little bit, but they opened up to the idea of becoming friends with them. When I asked how, King Mickey replied that everyone has their own way of trying to make friends. I just had to find my own way, too. My own way of making friends? I wonder what that is?_

_Sora arrived at the Cave of Wonders, pursing Jafar through all the traps he wished for. With Jasmine in a sleeping spell, Sora fought Jafar to set all of Agrabah free. However, Jafar had one last wish, and he transformed into a genie, and entered the Keyhole, with Sora in pursuit. The only way to beat him now was to take Jafar's genie lamp from Iago, and seal him within it. Sora did just that, and not only freed Agrabah from the spells, but de-glitched the place._

_After Sora and Genie parted ways, Sora found Pete and followed him outside of the Cave of Wonders. However, another villain appeared; Pete's master, Maleficent. She not only knocked Sora out, but destroyed the Keyblade we made for him. Riku, the King, and I all went to Sora's aid, stopping the Heartless she was going to attack Sora with._

_Turns out, Pete was brought into the Datascape when Riku brought the rest of us in. Then he and Maleficent decided to try and takeover all the worlds within the journal using the bugs within it, then send them to the outside world again. And it was thanks to them that they cut the link from the outside world. Riku tried to stop them, but ended up getting captured and taken away by Pete and Maleficent. With how things were, we regrouped back at Disney Castle again._

_Since Riku holds the data of the journal in him, we needed to save him quickly. Fortunately, only one world had bugs in it. Unfortunately, Sora was unable to produce his Keyblade after Maleficent destroyed it. Sora felt regret for not being able to bring us back home again. He felt sorry for not being able to have the power to help others._

_I started to understand what makes Data Sora tick; He's willing to help others without any reason other than his friendship with them. If he doesn't have the power to do it, he feels discouraged. The real Sora must act in the same way. Kirito also acted like this as well. That's why he kept pushing himself to save all the people in Aincrad. Maybe it's about time I try the same way._

_Mickey planned on taking out the rest of the bugs on his own, but I insisted on helping, wanting to aid in leaving the Datascape. Mickey agreed, and we parted ways with Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy, heading to Hollow Bastion._

* * *

><p><em>The King and I found our way to the next world, taking out the Heartless and figuring out what was causing all the bugs. However, we had no idea that Sora came ahead, and Donald, Goofy and Jiminy joined him as they ventured through the villain's castle. We gathered up as much leftover data as we could, restoring it to its' order, but there were still plenty of bugs in the world.<em>

_We arrived in the main hall of the castle to see Donald and Goofy trapped within bug blocks, defending Sora as their friend, and that he has a heart, just like the rest of us. Then they said the phrase that I could never forget: 'My friends are my power'. Thinking about it, I should've learned that from the start. That's what helped Kirito and Asuna through their battles. It was their bond that defeated me in SAO. It was their power that stopped Organization XIII. This kind of power was something that even a heart of data could have, and it could overcome any obstacle._

_Those words rang true to the Data Sora, for he produced his Keyblade again, and saved his friends from the bug blocks. As Mickey stated, something changed within Sora; his true understanding of the connection between us and him. That's what granted him the ability to wield the Keyblade again. As Mickey quoted from Ansem the Wise, a heart is so much more than any system. The power he gained was just his. No one else's_

_I stepped in with my comment, explaining Yui, the program I made to be controlled by Cardinal, and she learned to not only overcome the system, but become an acting force on her own. She and Sora were the same; They were more than just a system. They were living beings, just like us. I admitted that I did not see such a power before this, but now, thanks to Sora, I could understand what Ansem was unable to comprehend; The limitless powers that the heart could bring._

_We grouped together to stop Pete from escaping, but the Datascape acted up, indicating the data was 60% restored. Using the confusion, Pete escaped, leaving a Keyhole behind. Sora entered by himself, and fought Pete. He beat him, then had to face Riku, who had been implanted with a numerous amount of bugs within him, making him corruptive and go out of control. Sora took Riku out, stopping him from defeating Sora._

_It was an unfortunate moment. Since Riku's system held the data of the journal, that meant the journal's data was also corrupted, too. In order to save Riku, Sora decided to enter inside Riku's data, and destroy the bugs within. The risks were high, but Sora insisted, saying that if his friends were in danger, he would always be there to help. Sora took any risk to save his friends. An odd child, but a kind-hearted one._

_Before he went into Riku's data, I stated on understanding what Kirito and Asuna saw in him. Course, Data Sora wondered who they were, and I simply replied that they were friends of Sora, and hopeful friends of mine. Sora insisted me that they were his friends, or else he wouldn't think of them so well. I guess that was true. And with that, Sora entered Riku's data._

* * *

><p><em>We watched as the bug blocks started to disappear off of Riku a little bit at a time, with Sora restoring his data from the inside. As soon as all the bugs were gone, we were able to hear what was going on inside Riku's data. We heard how Riku was envious of Sora's personality and his friends. Sora stopped him, insisting that his friends were Riku's friends as well. All of us agreed with him whole-heartedly.<em>

_Just then, something was happening to Riku's body. Someone was trying to stop Sora from escaping his data. Riku gave Sora a way to escape, and fought the culprit behind the cause; Maleficent. They fought, and Sora became victorious. He appeared before us once more. Riku was revived again, his data all restored. He even opened up a gateway back to the real world again._

_I kinda felt sad on leaving the Datascape. It was nostalgic, wandering in the world of data again. However, I did come up with a few ideas from the journey, and it might benefit to all of the people around me. I thanked Sora for letting me watch his journey take place, and allowing me to be part of it too. We acknowledged once and for all that we were friends. And I made my exit back to the real world again._

_When we got there, Riku gave us some startling news, and it was something I had a feeling might happen; With the journal returning back to the way things were, all the memories of the journey we had in the Datascape will be wiped from Sora and Riku's memories._

_It was kinda sad to hear that, but Sora thought things differently, of course. He explained that though their memories will be erased, the adventure will never disappear from their hearts and ours. Before all of this, I would've found that hard to believe. But now, I think that's true. Our hearts our connected, so our memories will never vanish, no matter what._

_Just as they were signing off, something appeared on the screen. A 'glitch from the darkness' was attempting to delete the Datascape. Riku said it was far stronger than any of the other bugs, and that made me assume that it was the main cause of the bugs. Jiminy also pointed out that Pete and Maleficent were still in the Datascape, too, and they had to be rescued. I found this preposterous, but since they weren't made of data, they had to be rescued, anyway._

_Data Sora decided to go find the two villains within the Datascape. He dove in without hesitation, and after a while, he discovered them, along with the bug that was gonna destroy the Datascape. It was the Darkside, the Heartless Sora fought in the Destiny Islands. Sora tried to warn them to escape, but the Heartless used its' powers to delete the two._

_As Riku explained, the beast was the data of Sora's Heartless, according to the journal. It had been feeding on the glitches and the Heartless Sora defeated, evolving from the dark data to become stronger and stronger. Sora knew that if it was released in the real world, then that wouldn't be good news._

_As Sora fought the Heartless in several rounds of combat, Mickey insisted Riku that he should enter in and save Sora. He did just that, releasing the real form of Sora's Heartless from the Darkside, for which he defeated, along with the rest of the large Heartless._

_When Mickey and Sora returned, Riku had already rescued Pete and Maleficent. He guided them out of the Datascape while Sora and Mickey parted ways, and Mickey returned to the real world again with us. We saw a final message from Sora on the monitor, saying 'Thanks, guys!'. I couldn't help but smile. I was gonna miss that kid, data and all._

* * *

><p><em>However, the adventure wasn't over. There was still the message before that we never figured out. 'Their hurting will be mended when you return to end it.' Since Data Riku wasn't the one who found it, who was it? As we thought about it, Data Riku appeared on the monitor once more, saying a new world appeared in the Datascape after the data was reset. It might be the key to solving the message.<em>

_Since Data Sora didn't remember what had just transcribed, that meant all the experiences he gained with us on his journey never happened either. However, Mickey decided to go into the journal once more to help Sora out. I asked to join along side him, since Data Sora was my friend, too. Mickey agreed, and even gave me a promotion as the Chief Scientist of Disney Castle, saying my heart was now open and ready for the task. Quite a strange way to get a promotion, but I didn't complain._

_With Riku's help, we entered the Datascape again, and rejoined with Sora once more in Traverse Town. Sora had no idea who we were, but felt like he knew us from somewhere. I guess what he said before was right; Although our memories may erase, our connections will still be engraved in our hearts._

_We explained to Sora that he had to figure out the mysterious message by entering the new world that had opened up. Sora was confused about all of this, at first, but decided to help out. Mickey produced the Keyhole to the new world, and Sora opened it up._

_When the King and I reappeared, we were drifting within the data. We must've been separated from Sora during the transition, and got lost. We worked together to find our way back to Sora again. We discovered that the world that Sora went to was a place called 'Castle Oblivion', a world in which Mickey claimed he had been to before._

_Using Mickey's powers, we finally got into contact with Sora inside the new world. Sora was troubled. In that world, he keeps forgetting the people he meets in that place, using cards to meet those people, then leaving with the pains of forgetting those people. He was worried that if he held onto that hurt, it would consume him, and he would get dragged into darkness._

_Mickey understood that pain, and projected images of Donald and Goofy from the outside world to Sora. I also added to Sora what he taught me; That although he can't remember the people he met, their hearts are still there with him, connected to him. His friends were his power, even if it was hurting him that he could not remember them. As Sora started to understand that, Mickey used too much power, and we lost contact with him. We knew we had to get to Sora as fast as we could._

_When we finally arrived, we entered the large, white room to see Sora at the doors on the other side, holding up a card. He seemed to be better than we last saw him, like the cheerful boy that I met on our last journey. He showed us the card he was holding, saying it will lead us to the truth. Sora used it, and we entered the doors that opened up for us._

_When we entered, we met Naminé, the girl mentioned in the pages of Jiminy's journal. Mickey finally explained how he knew Naminé; One time, the real Sora lost all of his memories, which was caused by Naminé. However, it was Naminé that also repaired those memories back to normal._

_She was also responsible for all of the bugs in the journal. They appeared when she extracted the memories connected to the real Sora deep within him. The memories were still asleep in Sora's heart. They were dangerous, because they were too painful, and might permanently damage Sora. That's why she left the mysterious message, to see if Sora was ready to take it. And the hurt that the memories brought also produced the bugs in the journal. Repairing the journal and defeating the bugs was, in truth, a trial for Sora._

_I've already felt what it's like to feel regret and pain. It took me a while, but I finally started to remember one of the important reasons why I created 'Sword Art Online'. It was true I wanted to escape from the laws of the real world, but I was also trying to escape the pain as well. I figured, though it was sudden, that if I could create a new world, away from reality, I could be free from that fear of pain._

_However, I caused so much suffering not to just the SAO Players, both alive and deceased, but to the families I took them away from. I was so focused on escaping my pain, I didn't think about how it would affect others. Actually, this entire journey has taught me how to care for people, and that I should take their pain away, and make it my own, so they won't have to suffer anymore. That is what a friend does, and I want to become their friends._

_Data Sora was ready to face the pain inside of those memories. Mickey and I joined him. I felt like, as a friend, I should bear the pain Sora got from those memories, and help him carry it. All three of us touched the orb of memories that Naminé held, and we started to see all of the memories within them._

_The first set of memories contained four characters; One was Naminé. Two of them were mentioned in the second journal, the red, spiky-haired Axel, and Roxas, Sora's Nobody. The fourth was a black-haired girl that none of us knew about, but Sora felt she was familiar, and something bad happened to her. These people are waiting for the real Sora to find them again. He was the key to saving them._

_The next set contained three character that seemed to surprise Mickey. Naminé explained they were keys, too. And that they were connected to the Keyblade's truth. Sora knew two of them, and the third one had a special connection to Sora._

_We came back to our senses again, thinking about what we just saw. When Mickey asked if it was time for these memories to be brought to the surface, she wasn't sure. I believed that, like how Data Sora would eventually remember his friends, the other Sora will bring their connection to light as well._

_Mickey promised that he would pass this onto Sora in the outside world, and I stated that I should tell Kirito and Asuna about this. I have a feeling their hearts are so closely connected to Sora, that I'm sure they need to know this, and help those connections somehow. Call it a playful intuition, but I believe that they have the right to know just as much as Sora._

_With the message passed, Naminé stated that she would disappear, since she wasn't suppose to be part of the journal in the first place. But as long as the message is passed, then she would be at peace. Before we all left, Sora said the one thing that was on the journal before. 'Thank you.' Her smile was the last thing we saw before we all vanished, returning to our respected places._

* * *

><p>Kayaba sighed as he stopped his typing. He looked at the digital clock on the computer. It was nearly midnight. Jiminy had already left with his journal. It was dark in the room, except for the light on his computer. He looked at everything he had written, and saved the document in his journal. He then pulled up another new blank page. It was gonna be the message he was gonna send to Kirito and Asuna on the other side. He paused, wondering what to say to them. Then he smiled as he started to type away.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_All of you share a close bond to Sora, so I'm sure you'll understand what I am about to write. Just recently, I ended up on a wild journey within another world of data, learning about new sets of memories that are sleeping within Sora. I finally understand what you see in him, and how easily you became friends with him."_

_"__I also know that because you share such a strong friendship with him, that you are probably connected to the people in Sora's heart, one way or another. I'm not sure, but it is what my heart is telling me. Just remember this; You are tied together, and your ties with your friends, those who you remember and those who are sleeping, are also connected to you. And these connections will affect you in the future."_

_"__What I'm trying to say is this; Don't let go of that friendship you hold dear. Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Leafa, Recon… The truth of the Keyblade has found its' way through many people, and now it resides in yours, and in Sora and his friends."_

_"__Kirito and Asuna, you can aid the people in Sora's heart the most. They are hurting, and I'm sure that the two of you and Sora can free them from their sorrow. All of your journeys, both within the online world, and in the other dimension, have prepared you for this journey. Now it is time for you to take that road with strong hearts, for the next floor of your journey is about to come forth."_

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><p><em>(Day after the events of SAKII: Dimensional Bonds)<em>

Kirito, Asuna, Leafa and Yui were grouped together at Kirito's front porch, looking at the message Kirito forgot to open before they left to Sora's dimension for the supposed party. Kirito had already read the story out-loud, and no one said anything. Then Asuna started to speak.

"I wonder what he experienced in that other world of data to get him to say stuff like this?" she asked. "And why didn't he say anything about this before?" Leafa added. "Dunno." Kirito replied, "But if Kayaba told us these things, then I have a feeling he's placing a lot of faith in us for the trials ahead. And we should be prepared for them."

_(Cue Kingdom Hearts OST 'Hand in Hand')_

Kirito closed his laptop, stood up and turned to the group. "Let's make sure that whatever trial we're dealing with, we'll be ready. Let's get in some training, guys." "Right!" Yui replied. "Let's get started then!" Leafa declared. Asuna stood up without saying a word, but looked at the sky, thinking. _I wonder what kind of memories are locked away in Sora? And how do they affect us?_ she wondered. She looked to see Kirito, Leafa and Yui walking towards the dojo, and followed them, prepared to train.


	7. Lisanna Appears! Fight, Leafa & Kairi!

**Here we are, another episode. This one specifically surround Kairi and Leafa, plus a character that was hinted within the SAKII stories. Read and enjoy the tale of reunions!**

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><p><em>(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)<em>

**Chapter 1: The White-Haired Girl**

_(The following took place after SAKII 'Breaking Finals! The Keyholes of Bonds!)_

Inside the Doremi Magic Shop, Leafa and Recon watched as Riku and Kairi stood in the center of the three Witch Apprentices, their wands raised high, and the magic energy shining above them. The energy showered down upon the two, and felt the energy enter their bodies. The lights died down, and the spell was over.

"There ya go! Two new Keyblade wielders with the power of Soul Drive." Mirabelle stated. "I don't feel that much different." Riku stated, looking at his hands. "Me neither." Kairi added, looking all around her body, "Are you sure the spell worked?" "Of course it did!" Patina barked, looking shrewdly at them, then looking to Dori, "Unless one of us messed up the spell again." "Why are you looking at me?!" Dori cried. "Because you usually have steak on the brain!" Patina barked back.

"I'm not ALWAYS thinking about steak!" Dori moaned, then she looked up as she drooled, "Although a good steak would be really nice, right now." "Dori, you're a hopeless case." Mirabelle sighed as Reanne giggled quietly.

"Well, guess we'd better get going." Riku stated, turning to the door. "Hold on a mo!" barked Patina, splatting herself in front of the door and facing Riku, "If ya hadn't noticed, you haven't paid for the Soul Drive's yet!" "Come on, I thought Sora, Kirito and Asuna got that for free?" Riku reminded her. "Yeah, but that was one time only." Patina replied, "Plus, you still haven't paid for the work on saving that girl in her sleep!" She was talking about Kairi when she was in the World of Dreams.

"A little over a month has passed, so the bills doubled. Pay up, or work for it!" Patina ordered him. "I don't have that kind of money!" Riku told her, "Sorry, but we have a dimension to save, so excuse us…" He was about to open the door when Patina snapped her fingers, and the door started to spin like a pinwheel, slamming Riku back and making him fall to the ground.

"Then you're just gonna have to work for the money, aren't ya?" Patina said with a demonic face. Riku was both angry and afraid of the green blob witch on the dust pan floating close to his face. "Patina's really scary if she doesn't get paid." said a terrified Reanne as she and the Witch Apprentices huddled together with sweat-dropped expressions.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think we should go and find someone you want to share a Soul Drive with." Leafa told Kairi, grabbing her hand and pulling her along to the door. "Wait, what about us?!" Recon asked, indicating himself and Riku. "You're just gonna have to pay the jelly in order for us to leave peacefully." Leafa stated, waving a hand behind her, "I'm sure you boys can do it." "If you say so…" Recon moaned, looking to where Patina and Riku were having a glaring contest.

Leafa opened and closed the door behind her and Kairi. "Are you sure that was a good idea?" Kairi asked Leafa. "It's like I said, I know they can pay her." Leafa stated, then she gave a sweat-dropped expression as she added, "And I'm a little scared of that Patina. I'd hate to see what she would ask US to do." They could hear Patina barking orders at the two boys. "You know, you have a pretty good point there." Kairi agreed.

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening song)_

As they walked along the Market District, Kairi started, "So who do you think I should gain a Soul Drive from?" "Don't ask me." Leafa replied, "Think about who you are closest to, and maybe try gaining that power through the relationship. Just remember that you shouldn't push the relationship, otherwise it'll break apart."

"Don't worry about that." Kairi responded, "I know what it means to keep my friendships strong. I'll just have to wait until the power comes naturally. Though I am curious as to whom I'll gain that power from." She looked all around, noticing the people she was passing by. She saw Cure Black, White and Luminous of the Max Heart Pretty Cures, imagining herself in attire like theirs. She saw Ashe talking with Vaan, and imagined herself in Ashe's attire. She knew it was probably not gonna be Vaan, since Sora already had his Soul Drive.

"Kairi! Leafa!" called out a young girl's voice. It was Wendy of Fairy Tail, with Carla flying right next to her, running up the street to meet them. "Oh, hi there, Wendy." Leafa greeted her, "Hey there, Carla. How are you two doing?" "I'm fine." Wendy replied, "Though I'd be a lot happier if I was back in Magnolia again." "Come now, child." Carla scolded her, "Just be glad to the fact that we're still alive and in one piece." "I know." Wendy sighed.

"Is Magnolia your home world?" Kairi asked her. "It's my home in Earthland." Wendy replied, "We were just heading back there from another world when we got suddenly pulled into this world."

"I remember Lucy telling me that." Leafa recalled, "The world you departed from was called 'Edolas', I think." "That's right." Carla acknowledged, "But instead, thanks to those foul Heartless and Unversed, we ended up getting stuck in this dingy town." "Come on, Carla. It's not that bad." Wendy told her, "At least we got to meet a lot of new people and gain new friends."

Kairi started think that maybe she could gain a Soul Drive from one of the members of Fairy Tail. She though of herself in Wendy's Soul Drive, with the power of the Sky Dragon Slayer magic. Then there was Erza, who's powers of changing armor and powers would definitely be fun and crazy. Then there was Natsu, and his convulsive attitude and Fire Dragon Slayer magic would make her a force to be recon with.

"Hey, I was just wondering if you could help me out." Wendy started. "Sure, what is it?" Leafa asked her. "Carla?" Wendy spoke to the flying white cat, who cleared her throat before she spoke. "I just started to think about it, but when we were sent away from Edolas, it was because we had innate magic. Because of this, my race, the Exceeds, should've been pulled along with us. However, as far as I can tell, we haven't been able to find out where they are in this world."

"So are these Exceeds all flying cats like you guys?" Kairi asked. "Precisely." Carla replied, "Although I do not care for some of them, there are the kids that I should be worried about, along with a couple others that helped us. I should at least find them and make sure they made it here just fine." "Will you please help us in our search?" Wendy asked them.

"Of course we'll help!" Kairi replied, looking to Leafa, "Isn't that right, Leafa?" "Sure. It's better than wandering around here aimlessly until Patina is done with Riku and Recon." Leafa replied, "Shouldn't you ask Fairy Tail to help you out?" "I would, but Carla doesn't think it's a good idea." Wendy replied. "It isn't their problem to deal with." Carla added, "I believe we are sufficient. However, Wendy insisted on getting some help, and that's why we came to you."

"Then let's start talking around and seeing if we could get any clues." Leafa decided. "Okay!" the team replied, and they scattered about in different directions, going to different directions. As Kairi was passing by a house, she could've sworn she saw a girl with white hair disappear into the alleyway in the distance. Not sure what to make of it, she continued on her path.

Wendy and Carla went to talk to Fran and Balthier, who were just passing by to the Slaughterhouse. Leafa doubled back to the magic shop to secretly speak to the Witch Apprentices without Patina noticing. Kairi met up with Kenichi, asking if he knew anything. No one had a clue as to where the Exceeds were.

Kairi walked along the street near the fountain, thinking. Surely someone must've seen at least more cats than Happy, Carla and Lily. Since flying cats are an unusual thing, even in this world, you'd think they were recognizable. Course, Yusnaan is a huge city, so they could be hidden anywhere. It's up to them to figure out where.

Kairi was so deep in thought, she failed to noticed where she was going. She accidentally bumped into the back of somebody, bringing herself back to reality. She looked up to up to see the girl stumble and turn to see who bumped her. It was the same white-haired girl that she saw before.

She looked a couple years older than Kairi, even though she had a petite figure. She had blue eyes and short, white hair. She had on a blue tank top held with cross straps around her neck, and a long, white skirt underneath. She had on a pale pink sash wrapped around her waist, and she wore sandals. Kairi could see there was some sort of tattoo on her left thigh, but it was covered by her skirt a bit, so she couldn't tell.

"I'm so sorry." Kairi apologized, "I didn't see where I was going." "It's okay." the girl replied, "I'm sure you didn't mean it. What were you doing?" "I was searching for some cats." Kairi explained. "Cats?" the girl asked. "Flying cats." Kairi corrected her, "You know, like the ones from Fairy Tail. Only there are suppose to be more. Have you seen any?"

"No…" the girl replied, "Though I've heard rumors about someone seeing them." "R-Really?!" Kairi asked, "In that case, can you please tell me where I can him or her?" "I can do better; I can show you." the girl told her. "Thank you!" Kairi thanked her, "My name is Kairi, by the way. What's your's?" "Oh, my name is…" the girl started, but she was cut off by a yell from behind.

"Hey, Gray! Where are you?!" roared a hot-tempered voice. It startled the two girls, and Kairi turned to see Natsu and Happy coming their way. "All right, where that punk?!" Natsu growled, bringing his fist in his palm, "I've gotta score to settle with what he said to me in the tavern! Come out here and fight me!" "I don't think he's here, Natsu." Happy sighed, looking a bit exhausted from being with Natsu.

Natsu glared around the plaza and saw Kairi, who was nervous at the sight of Natsu's expression. "Hey, you're Kairi, right?" he asked, walking towards her. "Y-Yes." Kairi replied hesitantly. "Have you seen Gray anywhere around here?" he asked.

"Sorry, but I haven't seen him." Kairi replied turning around, "Have you seen…?" She then noticed that the white-haired girl was not behind her anymore. "Huh? That's weird." Kairi muttered, looking around, "Where did she go?"

"See, I told you he wasn't around here." Happy told Natsu, the two completely ignoring Kairi's puzzled tone. "Yeah, well maybe he passed by without being seen by her." Natsu stated, getting Kairi's attention, "Either way, if you see Gray, tell him that I'm looking to kick his butt." "Okay." Kairi replied, not sure if she wanted to send that harsh of a message. Natsu and Happy rushed passed Kairi, calling out for Gray as they continued further.

"What's he got against Gray, anyway?" Kairi asked, "Seriously… I mean they are fire and ice, but they shouldn't be this ballistic about one another." "Yeah, well that's how Natsu is." said a familiar voice, and Kairi turned to see the girl magically reappear behind her again, "He's always been looking to fight someone at his level or better."

"Where did you come from?!" Kairi asked, startled at her sudden reappearance, "More importantly, where did you go when Natsu was here?" "I was in the fountain." the girl replied, pointing to the fountain next to them. "The fountain?" Kairi asked, looking from the fountain to the girl's clothing, "But you're still dry. How are you not wet?" "I can use magic to transform into animals." the girl explained, "Like I turned into a fish when I went into the water."

"That's incredible!" Kairi gasped, "So you can use magic like a lot of the people around here." The girl smiled at Kairi's amazement, then she said, "As I was saying, my name is Lisanna. It's nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you, too, Lisanna." Kairi greeted her, "So, can you show me to wherever this person that you said before?" "Sure. I don't have anything important to do." Lisanna replied, "Let's go, Kairi!" "Okay." Kairi replied, and the two girls dashed onward.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 2: Died and Shied<strong>

As they walked down the street together, Lisanna explained to Kairi about her magic powers, called Take-Over Magic. Her form of it is Animal Soul, allowing her to take the forms of animals or human-animal hybrids. She demonstrated this to Kairi when a few Shadow Heartless appeared before them, and while Kairi used her Keyblade, Lisanna transformed into a large rabbit, pouncing on top of them with her body.

A minute after their fight, Kairi asked Lisanna something that confused her before. "Why were you hiding from Natsu before?" she asked, "By what you said about him before, it sounds like you know him well." Lisanna looked down, a little sad. "It's kinda hard to explain." she replied, "But right now, I don't want to be seen by any of the Fairy Tail wizards right now."

Kairi was even more confused before, then she looked down and finally saw the tattoo on Lisanna's thigh."I know that mark!" Kairi stated as she looked at it, "That's the symbol of Fairy Tail. Does that mean you're a member, too?" Lisanna nodded, smiling a bit, though her eyes still looked sad. Kairi was now even more confused. Did she do something to upset the other members?

Just then, they heard someone call from behind. Kairi and Lisanna turned to see Leafa, Wendy and Carla coming their way. Lisanna was a bit nervous when she saw the two Fairy Tail members. "Where have you guys been?" Kairi asked them. "Just sorting a few things out with the locals, mainly going through the battlefield between Natsu and Gray." Leafa explained, with Wendy chuckling a bit as they recalled the huge battle between the fiery Natsu and the frosty Gray, throwing insults and magic at one another, and the three girls had to avoid the magic.

Carla had just noticed Lisanna, and gasped, "Hold one, what are you doing here?!" Leafa and Wendy both noticed Lisanna as well. Wendy looked a bit shocked. "Aren't you Edolas' Lisanna?" she asked, "How in the world did you end up here?!" "Edolas' Lisanna?" Kairi echoed, looking to Lisanna and back at the group, "Didn't you know she was here?" "No." Wendy replied, "We have no idea she was even here."

"Okay, somebody might have to explain to me what is going on." Leafa spoke up, feeling left out of the conversation. "Allow me to explain." Carla responded, pointing to Lisanna, "This girl here is from Edolas', the world where the Exceeds are from. However, there are also counterparts of all the people of Earthland in that world."

"Counterparts?" Kairi asked. "Basically, it's an alternate world." Carla explained, "As such, there's an Edolas version of Fairy Tail, along with an Edolas Lucy, Natsu, Wendy, and such." "There's another you in Edolas?" Leafa asked Wendy. "Uh-huh. She's an older version of me, and kinda different to my personality." Wendy explained.

"What does that have to do with Lisanna?" Kairi asked. "The people of Edolas have also one other trait, and that's they don't have innate magic abilities like the people of Earthland do." Carla explained, "When we were pulled away from Edolas, it was because we had innate magic abilities. But Lisanna shouldn't have that, since she is a native of Edolas."

"But Lisanna can use magic." Kairi pointed out, "She demonstrated her Take-Over magic to me already." At this, Wendy and Carla were surprised. "If that's the case, then maybe she's from Earthland like you two." Leafa assumed, looking to the two surprised characters. "But that can't be." Wendy replied. "Why's that?" Leafa asked. "Because the Earthland Lisanna is dead." Carla replied promptly, "She died two years ago."

Kairi was stunned at this, and looked to Lisanna, who was looking nervous at this point. "What's going on, Lisanna?" Kairi asked, "I know you aren't a ghost, so what are you?" Lisanna was pretty hesitant on how to answer, then finally she said, "The truth is that I didn't actually die that day." The girls were all surprised by this statement.

"Two years ago, I got badly injured during a mission. However, the same magic energy that pulled us out of Edolas, the spell Anima, sent me from Earthland to Edolas. When I woke up, I found myself in that world, and met all the members of the Edolas Fairy Tail. This also include the Edolas versions of my older siblings." "You have older siblings?" Leafa asked. Lisanna nodded in response.

"Everyone was shocked and happy to see me alive." Lisanna continued, "I assumed it was because the Edolas Lisanna died. I didn't want them to be sad, so I decided to take her place as their younger sister." "That's both daring and sweet of you, pretending to be someone else for the sake of their family." Leafa stated.

"I adapted to my new way of life, and lived my life in Edolas for two years." Lisanna continued, "Then a couple weeks ago, the Natsu and Happy that I know in Earthland showed up in Edolas, searching for all of the Fairy Tail members."

"Didn't you tell him you were alive?" Kairi asked. "I couldn't." Lisanna answered, "I didn't want my brother and sister to go through that sadness of losing me again, even if I wasn't their Lisanna. Even so, when the Anima pulled us back in, I was pulled away, too. As I did, they told me that they knew all along, and wanted me to back to Earthland to see my real brother and sister again. And that's how I ended up here."

For a while, the four didn't respond to the story, then Wendy started, "Why didn't you come to us after that?" "Because, we weren't home yet." Lisanna replied, "I couldn't tell them that I was here while we weren't back in Earthland. I was nervous on how to explain to them how I was here when we weren't home."

"That's a pretty lame excuse." Leafa huffed, "I mean, you have the chance to relieve them of their thoughts of you dead, and you aren't even gonna bother telling them?" "Easy, Leafa." Kairi stopped her, "I'm sure Lisanna has her reasons, right?" She looked to the girl in question, who didn't respond.

"But Leafa is right about one thing." Kairi continued, "You should tell Natsu and the others that you are here and safe. At least let them know that one person they know is safely here." "But how should I explain it?" Lisanna asked. "With your heart." Kairi answered, "If you're with people who think about you, then things will be fine!" Leafa nodded in agreement. Wendy smiled as well. Carla folded her arms as she looked up at Lisanna.

"Okay." Lisanna agreed, "I'll tell the others, but after we find the Exceeds, okay?" "Sounds great to me!" Kairi responded, "Now let's go find those cats!" "Yeah!" cheered Wendy and Leafa together. "The person that I remember talking about the Exceeds is in the Warehouse District." Lisanna explained, "Let's go speak to her." And with that, the five girls raced onward to the Warehouse district.

Kairi looked to Lisanna, wondering. While she didn't know what it was like to go to an alternate version of her home world and live with counterparts of her family, she did know what it was like to go to a different world and live a new life. It was the same for her when she came to the Destiny Islands, and became close friends of Sora and Riku. Now, Lisanna has not only lived two years in Edolas, but then had to come here instead of her home world. It was a pretty confusing situation for Lisanna, making her heart hesitant on how to approach the Fairy Tail members.

It took a while, during which a few Heartless and Unversed got in their way, but they finally found the place where the person Lisanna told about. It was the temporary dojo that housed the members of Ryouzanpaku. "This is the place." Lisanna stated. "This certainly came out of nowhere when those martial artists arrived in this world." Leafa pointed out. "There wasn't this much wood in the city. Where did they get it all?" Wendy asked. "You're asking me like I should know?" Carla retorted.

Opening the doors was a little tricky, since they were solid and heavy. When they entered in, they heard an explosion, and looked to where it came from. Miu, Pantherlily, Kensei and Hayato were kneeling as they watched a match between Apachai and Gajeel.

The girls came in closer as they saw Gajeel get off the ground. "Man, you certainly got a good punch on ya." Gajeel stated, grinning with pleasure, "Even so, I ain't going down without beating you senseless." Apachai's eyes were glowing with passion. "Apachai is surprised Iron-guy is taking my attacks." he stated, "Apachai might not need to hold back now." "Good to know." Gajeel chuckled as he cracked his knuckles, "I was just thinking the same thing!"

Gajeel unleashed his Iron Dragon Club, and Apachai met it with his fist. The collision of attacks created a shockwave. It also left an imprint of Apachai's fist placed in the Iron Club. "He's freakin' strong!" Leafa gasped, seeing both combatants retract their fist and club before going into an all-out brawl.

This got Miu's attention, and she and Pantherlily turned to see them. "Oh, hi there, you guys." she greeted them, "Hey, Lisanna. Welcome back." "Nice seeing you again." Lisanna greeted her. "So Miu was the one you were talking about?" Kairi asked. "Yeah. Her grandfather allows me to sleep here for the nights." Lisanna explained. "Gotcha." Leafa understood.

"Let me get a picture of you together." Kensei asked, putting down a magazine with a girl in a bikini on the cover, and pulling out a camera, "It's so nice to have so many young girls coming to the dojo. Maybe you can do some poses for me later on?" Leafa saw this coming, but before she could do anything, Carla angrily got in front of the camera lens. "You will do no such thing, you disgusting old man!" she hissed.

"Actually, we came here to talk to you, Miu." said Lisanna while Kensei tried to snap a photo around Carla, but she kept darting in the path of the camera lens. "What about?" Miu asked. "About a few days ago, you said you saw more of those flying cats somewhere, right?" Lisanna asked, "My friends and I are searching for them right now. Do you know where you last saw them?"

"If I remember correctly, I saw a pair of flying cats passing by the dojo." Miu recalled, "They looked like they were exploring the town. They were heading further into the Industrial District before they disappeared from my sight."

Apachai kneed Gajeel away from him before calling out, "Apa! Apachai has seen flying cats, too! Apachai is best friends with them. They come to play with me everyday." "Where they here today?" Wendy asked as Gajeel fought back against Apachai, arguing he wasn't paying attention to their fight. "Apachai hasn't seen them come by today." Apachai answered, punching like crazy at Gajeel, who protected himself with his Iron Dragon Scales, "Apachai was about to find them when Iron-guy and Panther came by and asked for a match."

"Hey, get with the program, pal!" Gajeel shouted, "_Iron Dragon Roar!_" Gajeel unleashed his dragon breath attack at Apachai, who jumped high to avoid it, got in front of Gajeel, then unleashed a roundhouse kick that sent Gajeel flying into the wall a long distance away from them.

The girls were terrified to see this amount of power. Gajeel peeled off the wall and fell to the ground, unconscious. "Is he still alive?" Leafa asked in a shocked manner. "I think so…" Kairi replied, equally as shocked. "I'll go heal him." Wendy stated, racing over to Gajeel.

Apachai walked over to Pantherlily, who was amazed at how Gajeel was easily defeated. He looked up as Apachai asked, "So you want to fight Apachai next, Panther?" Lily gulped, then replied, "I think I'll pass. I can already tell I am no match for someone of your standards." He walked over to the girls, adding, "Besides, I am curious as to what happen to the Exceeds, especially Queen Shagotte. I shall join with you in your search." "Thanks, Lily." Kairi thanked him.

After a couple minutes, Wendy finally healed up Gajeel just enough for him to regain conscious. Gajeel got to his feet again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you doing okay, Gajeel?" Wendy asked. "Yeah, just didn't expect to get kicked to the curb by that Apachai." Gajeel stated, looking at the childish man who was punching the air in victory, "Man, if he's that good, I wonder on how strong Kenichi is? I should hunt him down to find out after I grab something to eat."

"You can come with us to the Industrial District." Wendy suggested, "We were going there to find the Exceeds." "I was just gonna go there for my snack." Gajeel replied, "Fine, I'll join your little brigade." Wendy smiled at Gajeel's approval. The two Dragon Slayers walked over to where the others were at. With the team set, Leafa, Kairi, Lisanna, Wendy, Gajeel, Carla and Pantherlily said their goodbyes to Miu and the others before departing.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 3: Vs. Caged Heartless!<strong>

As they started to walk to the Industrial District, Leafa gasped, "I just remembered something; but the Witch Apprentices asked me to take care of these for them." She pulled out a small box from her pocket, and showed it to Kairi. "What is that?" Kairi asked. "It's a box of Soul Drives." Leafa answered, opening it up to reveal three glowing orbs. "Really?! They had Soul Drives on hand?!" Kairi asked, gaping at the box of orbs.

"What are Soul Drives?" Lisanna asked curiously. "They're special powers that allow a Keyblade wielder to transform their attire to gain a new kind of power." Leafa explained, "They are formed by strong bonds between the wielder and someone else. However, these Soul Drives were the only exception, as they were formed by unusual means. During the large attack on the town yesterday, the Witch Apprentices discovered these and kept them for us to use. They gave them to me when I went back to question them about the whereabouts of the Exceeds."

"So are you giving all of these to me?" Kairi asked in amazement. "No. These souls choose who they become a part of." Leafa responded, "There were five in this box, but one bonded with me and one bonded with Riku. Both of us were shocked to find out what Soul Drives we gained." "Whose were they?" Wendy asked. "I'll show you mine later, but Riku's new Soul Drive is actually my brother's." "Kirito's Soul Drive?!" Kairi asked. "Yeah, and he has the same power as Kirito in SAO." Leafa explained, "He is totally fit for the power."

Kairi looked down at the three orbs in the box, wondering. She reached out to see if one responded to her. Nothing. "Did you do anything special to get one of them?" Kairi asked Leafa. "No." Leafa replied, "The moment they opened up the box, the souls just came out and attracted to Riku and I."

"So I guess none of them are for me." Kairi sighed, lowering her hand. "I'm sure you'll find your's soon." Leafa assured her, placing the box away and placing a hand on her shoulder, "Just be patient, and you'll soon find it." Kairi smiled, but did feel down about it. Now that Riku had his, she felt left out of the group. Lisanna was looking at Kairi with sympathy, wondering if she should help her out in some way.

After passing through the Lower City, they arrived at the Industrial District. It was a complex part of Yusnaan, full of twists and turns, going up and down levels, and dealing with Heartless and Unversed as well. Since this was the place where most of the food and resources for Yusnaan were available, taking care of them was still on their list.

There was a large pile of scrap metal that they stopped at so Gajeel can eat. It was really disgusting to watch someone literally eat metal like he did. "Geez, how do you get use to watching him eat like that?" Leafa asked Lily. "It was quite startling to me, but you learn to adapt." Lily responded.

After several minutes, the team found themselves walking along a narrow pathway alongside the harbor. As they went out to see, they saw someone lying in the distance. It was a black cat, with a long, rectangular head, a black jacket with a light-colored turtleneck, yellow pants, and a pair of brown boots.

"It's a cat!" Kairi noticed. "More precise, that's an Exceed." Lisanna corrected her. "I know him!" Lily gasped, "That's the Queen's Ministry of State, Nadi!" They all rushed around the cat, crouching down to see if was okay. He was moaning, meaning he was still conscious.

He raised his head at the sound of the people gathering around him. "Oh, my… It's you." Nadi moaned, seeing Wendy and Carla in front of his face. He got to his feet, and he started pumping his fist up and down continuously. "What happened to you?" Wendy asked him. "Some horrible creatures appeared and started gathering up all the Exceeds." Nadi explained, "Captain Nichiya, the soldiers, Queen Shagotte, every one of them!" The team gasped in shocked.

"I managed to escape, somehow." Nadi continued, "But, as you can see, I am terribly weakened. The monsters have drained our magic energy, so I used the las of my power, and escaped." "Sounds like it could be the Heartless or Unversed." Leafa assumed, "Don't worry about a thing, Nadi. We'll take care of it." The team stood up again, and looked to one another. "Sounds like the Exceeds need our help." Leafa stated, "Let's go save them!" "Yeah!" replied the team, and the group rushed forward to fight, leaving Nadi behind, looking worried.

As soon as they got to the ends of the docks, they were stunned at the sight. About a half-dozen of one kind of Heartless and one other Heartless were surrounding the dock.

The half-dozen Heartless were magenta blob with rounded teeth that were like prison bars and the Heartless symbol on it. They all held a numerous amount of Exceed inside of the main body. It had a smaller head on top, and both parts had yellow eyes. It had a blue, flower-like base, and two blue tentacles with violet, three-fingered hands with spikes outside of them.

The central Heartless was floating off the ground, and it looked mechanical, brightly-colored and ghost-like. It had an egg-shaped head with a long, Christmasy hat on top, two turquoise-sleeved arms with bright yellow, boney claws, and hanging by wires underneath it was a copper cage, and inside it was an adult white cat that had a strange resemblance to Carla.

"Look at all of them!" gasped Wendy, seeing all the trapped Exceeds. "Queen Shagotte!" Lily called out, looking at the adult cat inside the central Heartless. "Pantherlily!" she replied, raising a paw to the group. "It's those humans who saved us before!" one of the Exceeds noticed. "Please, you have to save us!" begged another Exceed. "I can't use my wings in here!" cried out another Exceed.

"Leafa, what are we looking at?" Kairi asked as Leafa pulled out a scanner similar to Yui's and placing it over her eye, analyzing the enemies. "The central Heartless is called the 'Prison Keeper'. It's gonna be the toughest one of the group." Leafa analyzed, "The other Heartless are called 'Parasite Cages'. They remain stationary, but their tentacles are deadly."

"I don't care about what those things are." said Gajeel, getting ready to fight, "All I see is someone messing with the wrong crowd." Lily grew in size, curling his claws into fists. "Okay, Lisanna. Let's go take out these Heartless, then we'll find the rest of Fairy Tail!" Kairi declared as she and Leafa pulled out their Keyblades, ready to go. "Okay." Lisanna responded, giving a stern face as she was ready to fight. "We'll back you up from a distance." Wendy indicated herself and Carla, "Please, save the Exceeds!" With that, the combatants charged in.

Leafa helped Kairi and Lisanna out with the closest Parasite Cage while Gajeel and Lily took on the second closest one. They had to make sure they didn't hurt the Exceeds inside of the Parasites. However, this was difficult since the Parasite Cage's tentacles were long and gave powerful blows.

Gajeel took one of the hits to grab ahold of one of the Heartless' tentacles, then when it tried swinging at him again, he grabbed the other. This gave Lily the opportunity to grab the teeth of the base Heartless, and pry them open. "Now's your chance!" he told the Exceeds inside, "Escape!" In a panicked frenzy, the Exceeds escaped the Parasite Cage's interior. "Everyone, follow me!" Carla called out, waving her hand to usher them over. The Exceeds hurriedly rushed over and exited the docks, towards where Nadi was at.

With the Exceeds out of the way, Gajeel threw the tentacles aside, and unleashed his Iron Dragon Club just as Lily punched it as well. They sent them flying away, and Lily flew right after it. He slugged it into the ground, where it collapsed. "_Iron Dragon Lance: Demon Logs!_" Gajeel shouted, sending a storm of iron lances from his fingertips, finishing the job on the Parasite Cage.

Meanwhile, Leafa, Kairi and Lisanna were still trying to finish off the Heartless what with the Exceeds within it. They weren't able to help them escape the bars by brute force like Gajeel and Lily did. Despite that, Leafa was the only one of the group who had attack magic on her; Aeroga and Fira. Both she and Kairi had Cura, and Kairi also had Esuna on her, making her reliable should the Heartless use any status moves, but that wasn't needed.

Leafa distracted the Parasite Cage by dealing the most damage to it, making it angry and tried attacking her. Kairi and Lisanna got behind, where it was vulnerable. Lisanna transformed her arms into wings and her legs into bird talons, taking the form of a harpy. She got into the air, then Kairi bounded off the Heartless and soared high to meet her. They connected their feet, and Lisanna shoved Kairi towards the Heartless. When she was close, Kairi swung her Keyblade, piercing right through the Heartless and coming out the other side. She stumbled and fell to the ground, failing to land properly. However, the Heartless did disappear before the girl's eyes, freeing the Exceeds. They, too, left to join the other freed Exceeds.

"You okay, Kairi?" Lisanna asked, going back to normal as she raced to Kairi's side. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Kairi replied, getting to her feet again, "Thanks for the boost, Lisanna." "Nice combo attack, you two." Leafa complimented them. They turned to see the remaining Parasite Cages. Lily and Gajeel were already dealing with two more of the Parasite Cages, their power amplified thanks to Wendy's 'Arms' Sky Dragon magic.

"I can take care of the remaining two." Leafa told Kairi and Lisanna, her Keyblade raised at the two remaining Parasite Cage Heartless, "You guys handle the one with the queen in its' clutches." "Are you sure you can handle them on your own?" Kairi asked, believing Leafa was getting cocky. "Don't you worry." Leafa assured her, grinning, "I still haven't shown you my new power, yet."

In one of the cages, Nichiya, the captain of the Exceed guard, was trapped in one of the Parasite Cages, along with most of the guard as well. "I shall not be kept trapped within this monstrosity like a common house cat! Meow!" hollered the Captain, swinging his sword against the teeth of the cage, but to no avail. Instead he wore himself out, having run low on magic energy. "I shouldn't be this out of breath." he panted, "I'm a strong and healthy young man…"

Leafa dashed towards the two remaining cages. "Hold on, Exceeds!" she cried out, "I'll save your lives. However, you're gonna have to deal with the fire I have in store!" As she dashed, she started to glow a fiery red. "_Flame Soul!_" she shouted, and her body bursted with fiery energy.

In a cutscene, Leafa's body was engulfed in a pillar of flames, reappearing out of it in her new attire. On top of the Twilight Town clocktower, Leafa finished off a bar of sea-salt ice cream, then leapt down to the ground in a fiery blaze. She landed, and the flames dispersed all around her. "_You're getting burned!_" she shouted, rising to her feet again and pointing to the side of her head, "_Got it memorized?_"

Leafa's new Soul Drive had changed her clothes greatly, for she now wore the Organization XIII's black coat. She had on a pair of tan jeans and black, high-heeled boots. Around her wrists were red rings with silver spikes, and the petals of her flower-like headband became red.

As Kairi and Lisanna ran past her to face the Prison Keeper, Kairi looked back at Leafa. The look she had reminded her of Axel, the fiery member of Organization XIII. Then she realized that it was his Soul Drive that Leafa gained. That made it even more confusing. If an Organization member didn't have a heart, could he share his soul? She didn't have time to think about that, and pursued after Lisanna, her Keyblade at the ready to fight.

Queen Shagotte looked down to see the two girls that came up to her and the Heartless. "Just hold on, your Highness!" Lisanna cried out, "We'll get you out of there!" "Please do so!" the queen called back as the Prison Keeper roared in fury, ready to brawl.

"Alright, you overgrown cabbages, time to get burned!" Leafa shouted, and she charged in with Keyblade at hand, which started to burn as well. She unleashed a storm of fiery slashes at the Heartless. The flames of the attack made the Exceeds panic a bit, fearing of getting singed.

The Parasite Heartless tried attacking her with their tentacles, but she flipped over the attack, then firing a fireball from her hands at the one with Nichiya in it, and he got caught in the blaze. "Sorry about that!" Leafa apologized before continuing her assault.

Meanwhile, in Augur's Quarter, Natsu and Happy were walking up the steps into the square. Natsu had a few lumps on his head, and he had a grumpy expression on his face.

"Aw, man!" he moaned, "If Erza hadn't butted into our battle like that, I would've beaten Gray!" "But she did stop you before you destroyed the whole town." Happy pointed out, "It's like she said, take it to the Coliseum, and not in the streets." "Oh, so you're siding with Erza?! I thought you were my friend!" Natsu barked at him. "Well you did torch the entire top floor of that hotel." Happy recalled, shrugging off Natsu's comment.

"Well, in any case, all that fighting really built up an appetite." Natsu stated, patting his stomach, "I could really use some fire right now. I wonder where I can find some?" "There's bound to be some somewhere." Happy replied, looking around, "Maybe someone has fire magic here."

Just then, Natsu stopped, his nose picking up something. "Hey, I got a whiff of some strong flames just now." he said, his eyes closed as he followed his nose. "Really? Where?" Happy asked him, following Natsu as he wandered over to the edge of Augur's Quarter, along the seaside.

Natsu opened his eyes, looking out in the distance, where the other's were fighting far from eyesight. However, the momentary flashes of Leafa's flames could be seen. "Ooh, looks like a fight's goin' on over there!" Natsu stated. "And it looks like one of them is using a lot of fire attacks, too." Happy added.

"Gettin' a free meal and smacking some faces. Oh yeah, I'm all fired up now!" Natsu stated, bringing his fist into his palm, "Happy, time to fly!" "Aye, sir!" Happy replied, and with that, the cat picked up Natsu and flew him towards the battle.

The Prison Keeper slashed out with its' claws, but the two girls dodged it. "I'll show you real claws!" Lisanna shouted back, and using her Take-Over magic, she entered a new form that was still humanoid, but with some cat features, like cat ears, a striped-tail, and her arms and hands became cat-like with sharp claws. She also wore a blue and black-stripped two-piece halter bikini and a choker with a bell.

Lisanna jumped up and slashed furiously at the face of the Heartless. It roared in pain, and tried biting at her, but she quickly avoided it. Kairi tried to attack it while it was distracted, but it saw her coming, and slashed at her, making her collapse to the ground. It was about to attack her again had Cat Soul Lisanna not bounded in and saved her.

"Are you alright, Kairi?" Lisanna asked, putting Kairi down. "I'm fine." Kairi replied, though she was a disgruntled, "My aerial combat isn't as good up there. The only place I can make a definite hit is on the cage, but that's where the Exceed Queen is at." "I know." Lisanna agreed, looking up at the Heartless, "That monster is quick with those claws. And with Shagotte in the way, it's gonna be tough."

Just then, the Prison Keeper spread its' arms out and opened its' jaws, sucking something from the air. The cage with the Queen in it started to glow, and it looked like Queen Shagotte was in pain. "What's going on, now?" Kairi asked, seeing yellow streams of energy being sucked into the Heartless' body. "That energy…it's magic energy!" Lisanna realized, "It's sucking in the magical energy from the air!" "But how is it doing that?!" Kairi asked, then noticing Shagotte in pain, she guessed, "Is it because it has the Queen?" "More than likely." Lisanna answered, "It's probably using the Exceed Queen's magical powers like a conductor, only it's drawing in the magic for itself!"

Once it drew enough power into itself, it's arms glowed, then turned green. It then slashed down at the two, who avoided it. It quickly got to Lisanna, who was surprised at its' increased speed, got bitten by the tail, swung her around, then slammed her into the ground. "Lisanna!" Kairi cried, jumping into action and attacking the Heartless with furious strikes, damaging it.

The Prison Keeper didn't turn to her, but instead changed the color of its' arms to dark yellow. It started spinning around, its' claws nearly grazing Kairi as she doubled back. However, she looked up to see it spinning and firing lasers all around. Kairi guarded herself as the lasers came crashing all around her and hitting her Keyblade, which she used to endure. The attack also affected the other battles, and even hitting Gajeel in the back before getting struck by his Parasite Cage's tentacle. "Hey, I'm trying to fight here!" he barked at the Prison Keeper and its' combatants.

In the air, Natsu and Happy finally arrived to the scene of the battle. "Whoa! Look at all them!" Happy stated, "And there are Exceeds in all of those monsters!" "Yeah, it looks like the Heartless that are roaming about in the city." Natsu recalled, "But it looks like someone's beaten us to the punch."

"I see Gajeel and Pantherlily fighting a couple of them down there!" Happy noticed. "Wait, Gajeel got to this fight first before me?! Not fair!" Natsu shouted. "Look, even Carla and Wendy are among them." Happy added, "I guess all the Dragon Slayers were fighting except for you, Natsu." This didn't settle well with the fire-breathing wizard.

An explosion of fire caused them to see Leafa's battle with the two Parasite Cages. "Is that Leafa?" Natsu asked, "She smells different." "Aye! She's gotta be in one of those Soul Drives that we saw before." Happy stated, "Evidently, this one seems to give her firepower like you." "Awesome!" Natsu stated, watching as Leafa unleashed her ground Finisher 'Fire Tornado', producing two flaming chakrams and sending them spinning around in a fiery blaze, causing serious damage to the Heartless, and singing Nichiya.

Happy noticed the last set of combatants, and cried out in surprise. "What is it, buddy?" Natsu asked, seeing the shocked expression on Happy's face, and looking to see where he was looking at. His pupil's shrunk in shock as he saw Lisanna on the ground, avoiding the laser-fire from the Prison Keeper. "No way…" Natsu whispered, "Is that…Lisanna?" "But how is she here?" Happy asked quietly, "Could that be the Edolas Lisanna?" The two were too surprised to know what to think.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 4: Fairy Tail Bonds<strong>

"I got this!" Lisanna stated, and she bounded forward and jumped at the Heartless, slashing furiously at the Heartless, making it stop spinning and float back down to the ground. Kairi lowered her guard and looked up to see the Exceed Queen in the cage, dizzy from the spinning. _I can't let that person get into any more trouble._ she thought to herself, _I need to find a way to free her from the cage, but how?_ After a moment of thinking, she came up with a solution. The Keyblade. She looked down at it, wondering. She had never unlocked anything with it before, and Leafa was still busy with the other two Parasite Cages, so she had to at least try.

As Lisanna leapt back to Kairi's side, reverting back to normal, Kairi said, "Hey, Lisanna. I have an idea on how to free the Queen, but you need to keep it stationary long enough for me to unlock the cage. Can you do that?"

"It's gonna be tricky." Lisanna replied, "But then again, nothing's impossible for a Fairy Tail wizard. And even if I haven't spoken to Natsu and the others about me being here, that doesn't mean I won't give up without a fight." Lisanna and Kairi smirked at one another. Their resolve was set and ready. Natsu heard everything from above, and looked like he was about to cry. It was really her. His childhood friend was really alive.

Lisanna transformed into a bird, and soared high into the sky, drawing the Heartless' attention, who's arms had turned red. It then started expelling fireballs from its' mouth at her, trying to hit her, but she avoided them. Lisanna got above the Heartless, and transformed into a giant rabbit, falling towards the Heartless. She was gonna use her weight to press it to the ground and make it immobile. However, the Heartless shot one more large fireball at her, and it exploded in her face, causing smoke to billow around her. "Lisanna!" cried Kairi and Natsu in unison.

Kairi saw Lisanna fall from the sky, back to human form. Kairi raced forward, and made a leaping grab for her, using her own body to cushion her fall. Lisanna got injured badly from the attack. "Hold on, Lisanna. I'll use my healing magic on you." Kairi told her, raising herself and producing her Keyblade.

Just as she was about to use Cura, she saw the shadow of the Prison Keeper and and turn to see it looming over them, drawing in breath to fire another fireball. "Get out of the way!" Shagotte called out to them. "Kairi! Lisanna!" Leafa shouted, unable to reach them in time. Wendy and Carla were afraid to see what was gonna happen. It even drew Gajeel and Lily's attention. Kairi was too shocked to move.

_(Cue Fairy Tail OST 'Natsu's Theme')_

"_Fire Dragon Iron Fist!_" shouted Natsu, striking the Prison Keeper from above with his fiery fist, making it crash to the ground. Kairi and Lisanna looked to see their savior falling from the air, surrounded by wisps of flames. Lisanna was shocked the most. "Natsu!" she gasped. "Salamander!" Gajeel growled. "Nice timing!" Leafa stated.

Kairi was stunned for a second on Natsu's entrance, seeing the Heartless collapse on its' side, dazed from the attack. Natsu landed onto the ground, facing the Heartless with fury in his eyes. "If you think you're gonna attack them, then you're sorely mistaken." he warned it, "I'd just found Lisanna, and I'm not letting you take her away from me again!" Lisanna was surprised at this statement, then blushed as she said, "Oh, Natsu."

As Kairi rushed over to the cage where the Queen was at, Happy came shooting down from the sky, crying, "Lisanna!" as he dove into Lisanna's arms. "Happy!" Lisanna stated. Happy raised his head, his eyes pouring with tears. "It's really you, Lisanna!" he bawled, "You're alive! I'm so happy to see you again!" "I'm glad to see you, too, Happy." Lisanna replied, rubbing her cheek on Happy's face, "It's been too long! I missed you so much!"

Kairi smiled at their reunion, then turned to the cage, where Queen Shagotte was laying on the side of the cage. Kairi raised her Keyblade and concentrated. The tip lit up, then shot towards the lock on the cage. It unlocked itself, and opened up the door. Kairi raced forwards and pulled Shagotte out of the cage.

"Are you alright, your Highness?" Kairi asked. Shagotte opened her eyes, and looked to Kairi. "Yes. Thank you so much." she replied. Kairi smiled at her, then placed her back onto her feet. "You'd better retreat to a safe distance." she told her. Shagotte nodded and raced off towards where the rest of the Exceeds were.

As Kairi returned to Lisanna and Happy's side, they all looked to Natsu, who hadn't moved from the spot as the Prison Keeper started to raise itself. Lisanna was a bit hesitant, and she started, "Natsu, I…" "You can explain it to me later." Natsu stopped her, "All that matters is that you're here, and you're still alive." He turned his head to Lisanna, smiling innocently. "It's great to see ya again, Lisanna." he told her, who responded by tearing up and smiling. "You looove her, Natsu." Happy sassed. "Way to ruin a moment, cat!" Leafa groaned.

Kairi bent down and placed a hand on Lisanna's shoulder, drawing her attention. "See? I told you things would work out." she told her. Lisanna got to her feet again, letting go of Happy as he flew there. "You were right." Lisanna told her, "Thanks a lot for supporting me." "No problem." Kairi responded, "You've been helping me believe in myself, too. That's just what friends do; We look out for one another." Kairi and Lisanna looked to one another, feeling their strong connection between one another.

Just then, Kairi's body started to glow a bright light. At the same time, Lisanna's chest started to glow brightly. The two were shocked at the scene, and so were Natsu and Happy. The others also noticed what was going on with the two girls. The Heartless shielded themselves from the light.

"Whoa, what's happening to you two?" Natsu asked. "Lisanna's chest is glowing, but Kairi's whole entire body is lighting up!" Happy noticed. "What's happening to me?" Lisanna asked, slightly terrified at this. "This bright light…" Kairi muttered, "It's so warm." "It's got to be it." Leafa understood the situation, "That light is the power of the Soul Drive. Kairi's about to gain her very own!"

Lisanna touched the light in her chest, and pulled out a bright orb. It shot into the air, surprising her and Happy as it spiraled upwards, then shot back down in front of Kairi. "Is this…a Soul Drive?" Kairi asked, shocked at the bright orb in front of her. "Pretty…" Happy muttered. "Is this how a Soul Drive is made?" Lisanna asked Kairi. "I think so." Kairi replied, recalling how she witnessed Leafa gaining her Soul Drives from NiGHTS and Serah.

Kairi touched the orb, and it dove into her. She felt the warmth of the light in her heart as her body glowed white. "So this is what a Soul Drive feels like." she stated, closing her eyes, "I can feel it; My connection with Lisanna, and vice versa. It's a strong connection of wills just waiting to be unleashed." Kairi opened her eyes, then faced the Prison Keeper, who glowered down at her. Natsu, Lisanna and Happy watched as she spread her arms upwards and shouted, "_Animal Soul!_" Her body bursted with the new energy.

In an cutscene, Kairi produced a magic circle, which enveloped her body in a bright light before she reappeared in her new attire. She appeared in a field, watching the sunset in the distance, Lisanna's gravestone made by Natsu right behind her. She closed her eyes, then opened them again, smiling. "_Their hearts will live on as long as we remember!_" she called out, the golden glowing symbol of Fairy Tail appearing behind her as she took a stance.

Kairi's new appearance was much different from before. For one, the fringes on her forehead were dyed white, like Lisanna's hair. Her attire was composed of a short, red dress with a pink collar and white bow, her white-jeweled pendent showing a bit from underneath. She had detached pink sleeves on her arms, held by gold rings at the top. She also wore tall, black stockings and brown shoes. Finally, the red mark of Fairy Tail was branded below her left shoulder.

"Whoa!" Happy gasped, seeing Kairi's new look. "I remember those clothes." Natsu realized, "Lisanna was wearing them before she left two years ago. How come you're wearing them?" "Because that is Lisanna's Soul Drive." Leafa replied, holding back the tentacles of the Heartless with a wall of flames, "The clothing represents the Soul Drive she is using. And it isn't just them that has changed, too." "Kairi?" Lisanna asked her. Kairi turned to Lisanna, smiling. "Thanks so much for lending me your power." she thanked her, "Now let me do the favor of putting it to good use!"

Kairi looked determined as she charged at the Heartless with Keyblade at hand. She begun slashing at the Heartless with a great amount of force. The Heartless recovered from the attack, and slashed its' claw at her. "Kairi, look out!" cried Lisanna. Kairi disappeared before she got hit, and ended up in the air, her arms turned wings as she flapped them in the air, keeping herself airborne.

"She's got wings?!" Natsu asked, his eyes bugging out. "That's just like my Animal Soul Take-Over magic!" Lisanna added, shocked at Kairi's new power. "Yep. That's the other thing about Soul Drives." Leafa explained, "Not only to they take on the characteristics of the person's soul, but also mimic their powers as well in some ways." "I get it!" Lisanna realized, "So she is using my powers to aid her in battle."

"And it's all because you two became close friends that she gained this power." Leafa told her, "It's just like what Sora says, 'My friends are my power'." "My friends…are my power." Lisanna echoed, watching Kairi bearing down upon the Prison Keeper in the air.

_(Cue 'Fairy Tail Theme')_

After a few seconds, Natsu smirked. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to give our friends even more power." he declared, his fists combusting in flames, "Whaddya say, you guys?" "Aye, sir!" Happy agreed. "Right. Let's show the Heartless what Fairy Tail is all about!" Lisanna added. Natsu and Happy dashed to Leafa's aid while Lisanna entered into her Harpy mode, and flew up to aid Kairi.

Gajeel had just freed the Exceeds from the Heartless, including the elder Exceeds. He was enduring the lashes from the back by the Parasite Cage's tentacles while he gave the Exceeds an opening. "If you wanna trade lashes, I'll give ya a serious thrashing!" Gajeel threatened the Heartless, using is Iron Dragon's Club to shove the Heartless away. He then inhaled deeply as he called out, "_Iron Dragon's Roar!_", unleashing his metallic breath attack, severely damaging the Heartless and destroying it. Gajeel chuckled maliciously at his victory.

Lily was still dishing out punches from his fists, dazing his opponent. He got to the cage of the Heartless. "Don't worry. I'll free all of you." he assured, starting to pry open the teeth of the Heartless. Just then, Lily disappeared in a puff of smoke, reverting into his smaller, weaker form. "Oh, no! I'm out of magical energy." he gasped. The Parasite Cage came out of its' dazed state, and was ready to attack Lily while he was vulnerable.

"I'll save you!" Wendy called out, getting from behind the Parasite cage and inhaling deeply. "_Sky Dragon's Roar!_" she shouted, breathing out a huge cyclone of wind from her mouth, blasting the Parasite Cage and sending it flying. It vanished into nothingness, and all the Exceeds were free from the attack, able to get enough magic to produce their wings. "Thank you so much!" thanked one of the Exceeds. "Well done, Wendy." Carla commended the little girl, who giggled at her praise. "Nice save, young Dragon Slayer." Lily added.

Leafa and Natsu were dealing with the remaining two Parasite Cages. Leafa convinced Natsu to help free the Exceeds before beating the Heartless. Happy distracted the Heartless by flying all around them, annoying them well enough to have them pursue him. This gave the two fiery fighters the chance to pry open the cages.

Leafa used her arms and legs to pry open the teeth of one of the Parasite Cages, but she was struggling. "Hurry! Get moving!" she moaned through gritted teeth, and the Exceeds escaped as quickly as they could.

At the same time, Natsu got enraged enough to pry open the teeth with his bare hands. "Alright! Time to get outta here!" he told the Exceeds, which were Nichiya and the guards. However, his demonic face and the fire burning around his face scared them to death. They shot out of the cage in a frenzy, panicked from Natsu's face. "Wow, they sure got out fast." Natsu noticed. "I think they were terrified of you, Natsu." Happy pointed out. "Yeah, nothing makes you move more than a frightening, fiery face." Leafa added.

Once the Exceeds were free, Natsu punched the Heartless he was dealing with into the air. Leafa jumped up to meet the Heartless. "It's time to burn, baby!" she stated, and unleashed her 'Firetooth' aerial Finisher, hurling four chakrams made of fire all around her, striking both Heartless in the air and on the ground. Unfortunately, two of them came at Natsu, and bursted into flames on contact.

"Gah!" Leafa cried out in a panicked tone, "Oh, no! He's gonna be really pissed at me for that!" "Don't worry. Natsu's gonna be fine." Happy assured her. Leafa looked to Happy, then heard the sound of something being sucked in. She looked down and was shocked to see what was happening. Natsu was sucking in the flames from his mouth and nose, eating them up like it was a milkshake.

Once he sucked in every last wisp, he exhaled deeply. "Woah, those were some weird-tasting flames. Not bad, but weird." Natsu stated, "But now I've got a real fire in my belly!" "Wha- How did he do that?!" Leafa asked, shocked to see what happened. "Natsu is immune to fire attack." Happy explained, "He also eats flames to replenish his magical energy." "That's incredible." Leafa gasped, "I've heard of people eating flames, but not in this fashion. Better get that one memorized."

Natsu brought his fists together, then inhaled deeply. "Now let me give you a fiery farewell." he told the Heartless, "_Fire Dragon's Roar!_" He expelled a huge amounts of flames from his mouth, blasting both Heartless with it. They came out, singed from the attack. Leafa dove down and slashed one of the Heartless, defeating it. Then she dashed forward, and with a flaming uppercut from her Keyblade, destroyed the second one. She landed just as she came out of her Soul Drive, reverting back to normal.

"Looks like the only one that's left is this one." Lisanna stated, using her Harpy form to make some clawing kicks at the head of the Prison Keeper. Kairi was on the ground, dashing at the Heartless. "Time to test this forms Finisher!" Kairi declared, and she entered Animal Soul: Cat, gaining the same traits as Lisanna's form, then making fast-acting swipes all around her, slashing the Heartless furiously. This was her ground Finisher 'Cat Fury'. It backed off, barely hanging onto life.

"Let's finish it, Lisanna!" Kairi declared as Lisanna landed right next to her. "You got it, Kairi!" Lisanna replied, and the two charged at the Heartless. Kairi had her Keyblade ready while Lisanna entered her Animal Soul: Cat. The two simultaneously swiped at the Heartless with everything they got. creating an X on the body of the Heartless where they slashed. They landed onto the ground, both girls reverting back to their normal form, and the Heartless faded into darkness, leaving a crystal heart that floated upwards and disappeared. All of the Heartless were defeated.

Lisanna and Kairi got together as the rest of the fighters joined the duo as well. "Way to go, you guys!" cheered Wendy. "You've still got it, Lisanna." Natsu stated. Lisanna looked to Natsu, smiling. "I couldn't have done it without Kairi." she told them, turning to the girl in question, "Thank you so much." "No problem." Kairi replied, "It was fun working with you." The two raised their hands, and high-fived one another in victory.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 5: Confession<strong>

Once the Exceeds were all accounted for, they thanked everyone for helping them out, and promised that they would be more careful from now on. With that, the Exceeds departed, leaving the group to watch them go. With the Exceeds safe, the team left the Industrial Area, except for Gajeel and Lily, and went back into town.

As soon as they got to the Cactaur Plaza, they heard someone cry out, "Natsu! Wendy!" It was Lucy, followed by Gray and Erza. "Yo, guys!" Natsu greeted them, "You just missed the best butt-kicking ever today." "Aye! And we saved the Exceeds from the Heartless!" Happy added.

"Really?" Gray asked, already half-naked, "And you didn't invite me to the battle?" "Why would I invite you to my fight, streaker?" Natsu growled. "What's wrong? Ya feel like I'll take out more enemies than you would?" Gray growled back. "There were a ton of them, and they were all powerful monsters that you wouldn't have a chance on beating!" "Oh yeah? Then how long did it take you to beat them, cause I would've iced them faster!" Gray added. "My fire cooked them in seconds!" Natsu snapped back. "Honestly, I'm just glad I didn't get to fight them." Lucy sighed.

Erza then noticed Lisanna right behind Kairi and Leafa, and was surprised. "Hold on a moment." she told the two boys, "Before anything, I want to ask who is she?" She pointed directly at Lisanna. "Whoa! She looks just like Lisanna!" Gray noticed. "Duh, that's because it IS Lisanna." Natsu told them. "For real?!" Lucy asked. "It can't be. She died two years ago!" Erza retorted. "Lisanna, you'd probably have to explain it to them." Kairi told Lisanna, who nodded in approval.

She then begun to explain to Lucy, Gray, Natsu, Happy and Erza about everything she told to Kairi and the others. She also added the parts on how she met Kairi everything up to that point.

When she was done, the other three were speechless at this. Finally, Lucy started, "I guess if you put it that way, it makes sense on how you actually got here." "But why didn't you tell us before all of this?" Natsu asked. "Because we weren't home yet." Lisanna replied, "I had a feeling you were worried about the rest of the guild and keeping each other safe through this time, that I didn't want you to worry about me."

"What are you talking about?" Gray asked, "We didn't even know you were alive before all of this." "Yeah, but now that you're here, we have one more member of Fairy Tail still with us." Lucy added. "It does put me at ease to see you are safe, Lisanna." Erza stated. "Plus, just wait till we do get back home." Natsu added, "Mirajane and Elfman will be so happy to see you again!" "Mira…big brother Elf…" Lisanna muttered, thinking about her siblings.

"You'll be back soon enough." Leafa assured her, "Sora, Asuna and my brother are out there right now, saving one world at a time, and freeing them from the tyranny of the Heartless and Unversed. Then, once they defeat the enemies behind this whole mess, your world will be restored back to normal!"

"Trust me, you should have faith in Sora and the others." Kairi added, coming to Lisanna's side, "If there's one thing I know about him, is that he will always keep the promises he's made with his friends. And maybe, once the worlds are back to normal, we might even come to see you again." "Yeah, you should definitely be a part of Fairy Tail." Natsu agreed. "Aye!" Happy added. "I can't wait for that day, Kairi, Leafa." Lisanna told her. Kairi smiled happily at this.

Just then, they saw a large dust cloud coming their way. What was making it was Riku and Recon, racing towards the group. "Kairi! Leafa!" Riku called out. "Riku!" Kairi gasped, wondering why he was rushing. They stopped in front of the group, slightly out of breath.

"We had better get going now, before Patina catches up with us!" Recon panted. "We had just got away from her, but we should get back to Saitama again." Riku added, "We still have to protect it while the others are out." "That's true." Leafa agreed. "Then we'd better get to the Gummi ship." Kairi decided.

"Hey!" shouted a voice. Riku and Recon panicked as they turned to see Patina flying at them on her dust pan at high speeds. "Where do you think you're going?!" she shouted, the fire in her eyes stating she was not pleased. "Crap! She's catching up with us!" Recon exclaimed. "We'd better get outta here!" Riku shouted, and he and Recon raced off towards Sahz's Hanger. "Wait for us!" Kairi called out as she and Leafa pursued them.

"Kairi! Leafa!" Lisanna called to them as they ran off. The two girls turned to see Lisanna pointed her index finger high into the air. "I'll see you real soon! I promise!" she called to them. The other Fairy Tail members looked to one another, nodded in agreement, then raised their index fingers as well, signaling their promise as well. Kairi and Leafa looked to one another, smiled, then mirrored the hand gesture back at the group, returning the promise. They knew that one day, they would see one another again.

"You ain't gonna get away from me!" Patina roared at the four, passing by the Fairy Tail members, "If you want to pay off your work, then you're gonna have to work for my shop for the next four months!" "Four months?!" Leafa and Kairi cried in unison. "Doesn't she realize the worlds are at stake here?!" Leafa demanded. "I guess not." Kairi chuckled. With a good reason to leave, they pursued the boys as they returned to their adventures again.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: And that's how Kairi and Leafa got to know Lisanna. In all honesty, she's one of my favorite female characters in 'Fairy Tail', except for Erza. I felt like she and Kairi would make a great bond together. I'll figure something out with how they get to meet again, don't worry!<br>**

**Sora: So what about a new world that Kirito and Asuna are gonna visit?**

**Author: You just saw it. The next world that they are gonna be going to in 'Sword Art Kingdom: Falling Fantasy' is gonna be:**

**Fairy Tail: Edolas Arc**

**Kirito: So it's gonna take place before they were sent to Yusnaan?**

**Author: Yeah! Just like how Sora and Riku visit the Pinnochio world, Prankster Paradise, in 'Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance', this one will take place before or close to the events.**

**Sora: Cool! I hope you guys have fun there!**

**Author: I'm sure they will. By the way, the new DLC Soul Drives for Sora, Riku and Kairi are now on my DeviantART page on 'Jacksonswordsman'. Kairi's Animal Soul is there, so go check it out! Thanks for readin' my story, and be patient for the next one!**


	8. The Other Organization! Mushroom XIII!

**Now we take a step back even further, to the original 'Sword Art Kingdom', where we see some stories that haven't been told. The next two stories are all about the 'proofs' that they accomplished. Just read and enjoy!**

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><p><em>(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)<em>

_(The following has no timeline with the SAK story. However, they do have all the powers and magic up to the end of SAK, so the closest timeline would be after the fall of Organization XIII and before Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Leafa and Recon left to their world.)_

The heroes were flying the Gummi ship through space, relaxing a bit. They were eating a plate of sandwiches that Asuna cooked up for them. "It's good to have a break once in a while." Sora sighed, taking a bite out of the sandwich. "And with how good the meal is, the Gummi ship will be filled to the brim with smiles!" Goofy added. "I'll take that as a 'thanks' for the food." Asuna replied.

Kirito was holding a newspaper, looking through it while munching his sandwich. "What'cha lookin' at?" Donald asked him. "I'm just looking at the articles from Radiant Garden." Kirito replied, "I wanted to see how the SAO Players are adapting to that world."

"With everything that had happened to them, I'm sure there might be some sorts of news here and there." Asuna guessed, "Found anything so far?" "Nothing to brag about." Kirito replied, "As far as I can tell, the biggest amount of news on this paper I've seen so far is the number charts of Heartless and Nobodies defeated between the ARMY, the Knights of the Blood Oath, and the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee."

As Kirito flipped the page again, he examined the pages, then something caught his eye. "Hold on, this might be something." he stated, getting everyone's attention, "It says here that there is a new Heartless that has popped up outside of the cities walls that no one has been able to defeat."

"Seriously?" Sora asked. "Does it say anymore?" Yui asked, flying over to Kirito's shoulder. "It says here that the Heartless doesn't attack anyone, nor does it move from its' spot." Kirito read, "It simply waits for someone to accept its' challenge." "What kind of challenge?" "What kind of challenge is it?" Donald asked. "That's the thing; the people don't have a clue." Kirito replied, "What they do know is that this Heartless has repeated the same message to all who challenge it. 'To defeat me, #9, keep me dancing'."

The group was now even more confused than before. "To defeat me, #9…" Sora echoed. "…keep me dancin'?" Goofy asked. "I have no idea what it's trying to say here, but it sounds like it could be a great challenge for us!" Kirito replied, "Let's go to Radiant Garden, and check it out for ourselves." "You got it, papa!" Yui replied, flying over to the control panel, "Setting coordinates to Radiant Garden…engage!" The Gummi ship changed its' course, and flew towards the next world.

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening)_

They arrived at Radiant Garden, and descended down into town. When they arrived, they went straight towards Merlin's house to see if anyone knew about the mysterious Heartless. Fortunately, Leon did. He was inside with Cid, who was at the computer. When Leon asked why they were there, they explained about how they heard about the unbeatable Heartless.

"I see. So you want to see if you can beat it, huh?" Leon asked. "Well, good luck on that one." Cid told them, "Everyone tried their best, but no dice. That Heartless just won't be beaten by anyone." "And what's more, they only allow one person to challenge it at a time." Leon added, "I've tried, Yuffie, the SAO Players, everyone. But no one has been able to beat it."

"Though it isn't threatening, the challenge of beating it is rewarding, right?" Kirito asked. "It must be." Leon replied, "But even so, no one is able to figure out what the message it left for us." "You mean the 'keep me dancing' hint?" Asuna asked. "Exactly." Leon responded, "But since you guys are here, maybe you can figure out the message." "That's why we are here." Kirito answered, "Let's go see this Heartless!"

Leon led the group out of town, through the bailey, and passed the broken wall that was left from the Heartless Siege. They arrived at the place where they fought against Demyx, the Organization member that they first defeated. In the area, they found a single Heartless, with a mushroom cap head, and dressed in what appeared to be the Organization's coat. The Heartless symbol was on its' coat.

"So this is the Heartless?" Sora asked curiously. "Looks kinda like one of the Organization XIII." Goofy asked. "You're right. It does look that way." Kirito agreed, looking at the coat, "I wonder if it has any relationship with the Organization?" "Well, whatever it is, I know we can beat it!" Sora responded, stepping forward, rolling his shoulders to loosen them up.

As soon a she approached the Heartless, an echoing voice spoke up. _If you want to defeat me, #9, keep me dancing…_ the voice said. The team looked around, then at the Heartless. Was it speaking to them. "Oh, I'll give you a dance you'll never forget!" Sora responded, and he charged in with his Keyblade.

The moment he struck it, the Heartless started to spin around the circular picture on the ground before it came to a stop, not even damaged. "What the heck?!" Sora gasped. "It spun the moment Sora hit it!" Donald stated. "Gawrsh, ya think it could be dizzy?" Goofy asked. _I haven't danced enough._ the Heartless told Sora, Keep me dancing… "If that's how you like it, then…" Sora started, and he begun his assault on the Heartless.

For the next ten minutes, Sora attempted to unleash his strongest attacks onto the Heartless, trying to defeat it, but all it did was spin around in the same circle coming to a stop a few seconds after Sora hit it. Every time it stopped, it kept saying it hasn't danced enough. Everyone watched Sora's raging attacks, trying to defeat it.

Finally, he panted and fell backwards, exhausted from the constant attacking and giving everything he had in his attacks. The Heartless was aways from him, unscathed and stationary. "Sora gave everything he got against it, and it wasn't enough." Kirito stated. "Why won't it go down?!" squawked Donald. "There has to be a weakness to it somewhere." Leon guessed, "But I can't tell what it is."

Asuna was pondering on how to beat the Heartless when Goofy said, "Well it keeps on saying that it wants to keep dancin'. And Sora did make it dance a lot." "Yeah. All those attacks Sora did only make it keep spinning until it stopped." Yui added.

At this, Asuna's eyes flashed with inspiration. "That's it!" she gasped, making the group jump in surprise, "I know how to beat it!" "You do?!" Sora asked incredulously. "Yes, and I believe Kirito is the best choice for beating him." Asuna stated, turning to Kirito, "Let me whisper to you what you need to do." Kirito bent his ear, and Asuna whispered the instruction into his ear. The others looked to one another, wondering what she hand in mind.

When she was done whispering, Kirito looked to her, then to the Heartless, and understood what he needed to do. "Okay, I gotcha." Kirito understood, "Then let's do it. _Limit!_" Kirito entered his Limit form, carrying his Oblivion and Elucidator Keyblade at hand, ready to go.

Kirito approached the Heartless, his Keyblades at the ready, then he started swinging at it. It started spinning, and Kirito pursued it, striking it with as many back to back attacks as he could, the more he did this, the more constant spinning the Heartless was doing.

"I don't get what Kirito is doing here." Leon stated. "Simple. He's keeping it dancing." Asuna replied, confusing the others, "You see, it was what Yui said that caught my attention. 'All those attacks Sora did only make it keep spinning until it stopped'. That made me realize that we were looking at it wrongly. We didn't need to use strong attacks, but chain attacks. Keep attacking it so it won't stop moving." "That's it! Now I see what's going on." Leon understood, "That's pretty clever, Asuna."

After about eighty strikes, Kirito wasn't able to keep his chain of attacks going, and he stopped. The moment it stopped moving, it looked to Kirito, and jumped for joy as fireworks shot into the air. _I have danced enough. Thank you._ the Heartless thanked him, _We are the Mushroom XIII. We seek those who will take on our challenge. Twelve of us are scattered about throughout the worlds, waiting for someone to challenge us. Once we are satisfied, then the thirteenth will appear beyond here_._ We await for you, Keyblade Wielders._ And with that, the Heartless disappeared.

Kirito reverted back to normal and looked to the group. "Mushroom XIII?" Sora asked. "Looks like there are plenty of Heartless out there, waiting to test us." Yui guessed. "They aren't as threatening as the Organization, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't go out there and find them." Kirito stated, "Plus, it could be fun taking on all these challenges they give us."

"Kirito, I know this is interesting, but I don't think we have time to do that." Asuna retorted. "Why not? Defeating Heartless is something we should do!" Sora told her, "I'd say we should go search for the remaining Mushroom XIII." Donald and Goofy agreed on it. Asuna sighed, but saw that Sora was right. Fighting Heartless was what they did, and these ones wanted to challenge them.

"We'll be seeing you, Leon!" Sora told him. "Good luck out there." Leon replied, "These Mushroom XIII Heartless might challenge you to different battles. Keep an open mind." "We will." Yui responded. "Thanks for your consideration." Kirito added. And with that, the heroes left for their Gummi ship.

* * *

><p>The first place they went to was the Land of the Dragons, Mulan's world. They arrived inside the palace, where they were reunited with Mulan again. After explaining what was going on, Mulan replied that there was a Heartless at the front of the palace that no warrior in China could avoid.<p>

The team arrived outside the palace, seeing the Heartless there. "It's the same as the other Heartless." Goofy noticed. "The only difference is in size, and the number on its' back." Kirito corrected him. "What does this one want?" Donald asked.

"Let me approach it." Asuna told the others, and she stepped towards the Heartless, who looked up at her. _If you want to beat me, #4, you must defeat me while I'm 'it'._ the Heartless told her. "Defeat you while you are 'it'?" Asuna echoed, "I'm not sure what you mean."

Before she could contemplate, the Heartless disappeared and reappeared behind her. "Asuna, look out!" Kirito shouted, but Asuna was ahead of her. She dodged to the side as it leapt towards her, then used Blizzaga to defeat it. As soon as she did, two more appeared on either side of her, and she escaped being attack while they leapt at her. She unleashed Thundaga onto them, defeating them. Two more appeared afterwards, jumping at her.

Asuna was doing her best avoiding the Heartless while returning with magic attacks. Asuna was nimble enough to avoid getting hit, but could tell she was running low on magic energy. "Asuna's doing the right thing right now." Kirito told the others, "It's as the Heartless said, she must defeat them while the Heartless is 'it'." "I see. It's a game of tag!" Sora understood, "She has to fight them without touching them."

"But she needs to defeat them fast." Donald squawked, "Those Heartless aren't giving her any more room to dodge." "That's true." Kirito agreed, "Asuna needs to move faster, and use more magic. And only one form can do that for her."

Asuna backed away as six Heartless clones kept pursuing her. "I got no choice." she muttered to herself, "_Wisdom!_" Asuna entered her blue Wisdom Form, and used the increased speed of the form to move around the field quickly. She then started shooting magic bullets from her Keyblade, defeating the Heartless pursuing her. Since she was floating, she was able to shoot while moving backwards, sideways, all ways. Plus, with her accuracy, she was completely stopping the Heartless.

After a few minutes since the start, during which she shot over eighty-five enemies, one of the Heartless came from behind, and pounced at her, hitting her at last. Asuna fell to the ground, and got back to her floating feet again. The Heartless appeared in front of her. _That was a fun game!_ it said eagerly, _Thank you for playing with me. Hope you give my family just as much fun._ With that, the Heartless disappeared.

The group approached Asuna as she reverted back to normal. "You did awesome, Asuna!" Kirito commended her. "Thanks!" Asuna replied, "It was quite easy to figure out. Doing it was a whole other story." "But that just leaves ten more Heartless." Yui told the group, "Let's head to the next world!" "Okay, but I'm taking the next one, ya hear?!" Sora told the group as they walked to a place where they could teleport to their Gummi ship.

* * *

><p>The next place they discovered a Heartless was in Beast's Castle. When they descended, they immediately met up with Belle and Lumiere. After describing the kind of Heartless they were looking for, the two knew where one was at. They led them to the bridge of the castle, where the heroes saw a Heartless standing there, waiting for them.<p>

"There's the miscreant that you are looking for." Lumiere told the group. "Beast tried to stop it, but it was quite nimble and hard to catch." Belle explained, "It stands in front of the castle, unwilling to move, and we can't get rid of it." "Then let me handle it." Sora replied, stepping forward towards the Heartless.

As soon as he got close to it, Sora asked, "Okay, what's the game you want to play?" _If you want to defeat me, #3, help me with my clumsiness._ said the Heartless in response. "Help with its' clumsiness?" Asuna questioned, "What the heck does that suppose to mean?" "Looks like we're about to find out." Kirito responded as the Heartless floated upwards.

As it turned to fly slowly away, it started dropping orbs of energy from its' body. "What the heck?" Sora asked, "What are those things?" Sora grabbed a couple of the orbs, and they dove into his body. The Heartless kept dropping as it flew away, and dropped tons when it picked up speed. "So is that his clumsiness? It keeps dropping those orbs?" Sora asked, "In that case, I'll just pick them up for ya!" Sora sprinted along the path, using his power 'Draw' to attract the orbs into his body as he ran.

The Heartless went to one end of the bridge, turned around and did a figure-8 along the bridge, moving faster and faster as time went on. Sora kept below it as he continued to run, keeping an eye out for the prize its' drops. "Looks like Sora was able to figure out its' game quickly." Kirito stated as Yui cheered for Sora to keep going. "Sora's always been quick to learn." Goofy chuckled. "Just not always thinking ahead." Donald added.

After a few minutes, the Heartless came to a halt and floated down towards the ground as Sora stopped running, slightly out of breath. "So, how'd I do?" Sora asked it. _Thank you. You made sure to gather plenty of the orbs I have dropped. Your are fast and collective. Use your skills wisely for my family._ The Heartless sparked fireworks, and it disappeared.

"Well done, Sora." Kirito commended him as the group walked towards him. "That was incredible." Belle added, "Who would've thought you could defeat a Heartless like that." "These Heartless are different from the others." Asuna stated, "Each of them was different from every other Heartless we've encountered. It's as if they took on similar traits to someone."

"It's got to be the Organization!" Yui deduced. "How do you know that?" Lumiere asked, confused. "That Heartless Sora just dealt with. It was riding the winds like Xaldin did." Yui noticed, "Not to mention this was the same place we defeated him." "That's true." Asuna agreed, "And the one in Radiant Garden liked to dance, which was similar to Demyx's combat style. And just like this one, we found it in the same place we fought and beaten him."

"There's one more thing." Yui noted, "Each of the Heartless are a number, and in coincidence, each Organization is represented by a number as well, only Roman numerals. From my analysis, Demyx was number IX, and Xaldin was number III. The Heartless in Mulan's world, number IV, is unknown to me."

"So if we know who's number they belong to, we can get more clues to on how to beat them." Kirito deduced, "Even if we don't know all of the members, it's better than nothing. We'd better get to the next world and see where the next Heartless of the Mushroom XIII is at." After thanking Belle and Lumiere for their help, the team departed from Beast's Castle.

* * *

><p>The next world they visited was the Olympus Coliseum. While they didn't find anything above ground, they did find something in the Underworld. According to Pain and Panic, the underlings of Hades, there was an obnoxious Heartless within the Atrium within the Underground caverns. From what was explained in Jiminy's journals, the Atrium was the place where they fought Demyx for the Olympus Stone.<p>

It took some time to get to the place, since the pathway towards the Atrium was a maze. When they arrived, they found the Heartless waiting for them. "So this is where it was." said Donald, acting like he was rolling up his sleeves, "I'll handle it." "I doubt that you could beat him." Asuna stated. "Why not?!" Donald squawked angrily. "Let's ask what it wants before we do anything." Yui suggested.

The group stepped closer to the Heartless, who had begun to spoke to them. _If you want to defeat me, #6, fight my formations within time._ it said to them. "Fight its' formations?" Sora questioned. "I guess it wants us to fight it, but it wants us to do it in a limited amount of time." Kirito guessed.

"You should probably do it, mama." Yui suggested to Asuna, "This Heartless isn't strong, but using speed and accuracy should be really necessary." Asuna looked to Kirito, who had no objections. "Guess it's okay with me, too." Sora agreed, "You got this, Asuna!" "Okay… I'll do it!" Asuna decided, stepping towards the Heartless.

As she was within range of the Heartless, it raised its' hands and shot something into the air. It took the form of a timer, and it was marked '0:45'. "Fourty-five seconds, huh?" Asuna muttered, seeing the amount of time given to her, pulling her Keyblade out, and positioning herself, "Let's start this challenge!"

Asuna thrusted forwards with her Keyblade, making it disappear. It reappeared again, now in a group of six, and in a circular formation. "It has clones!" Donald squawked. " Beat them all up!" Sora shouted. Asuna used her Thundaga spell onto all of them. They next six appeared in a straight line horizontal to Asuna's position. Asuna jumped a bit of a ways, then leapt forward using her 'Flashing Penetrator' Rapier Skill, piercing through one and sending a shockwave that blasted the rest of the Heartless.

The Heartless kept producing clones of six within the atrium, the group taking on multiple formations. Asuna had to be quick on her feet and quick-witted on figuring out how to take them out fast. The clock kept ticking as the battle went on, and this started to put the rest of the group on edge.

Finally, the tenth formation was all six clones scattered around the area, and with seven seconds on the clock. Asuna quickly dispatched the first one, ricocheting off the wall, striking the next one. "Five seconds left!" Goofy hollered. "Hurry, Asuna!" Sora shouted after she sliced the next one.

Four seconds. Asuna charged at the next Heartless, slicing it with her Keyblade. Three seconds. Asuna landed and raced to the next one, ready to stab. Two seconds. Asuna stabbed it, and saw the last two close together. One second. Asuna raised her Keyblade and unleashed Thundaga. destroying the last two just in the nick of time.

The team cheered for Asuna as the Heartless reappeared in the center of the room. _You have done well on your strategic thinking and quick work with my clones._ The Heartless told her, _You must continue to think wisely as you take out the rest of my brethren. I'll see you soon!_ The Heartless sent fireworks into the air, and disappeared.

"That was too close for comfort." Kirito sighed. "Yeah, but at least you beat them in time." Sora stated, "Well done!" Asuna smiled at Sora's compliment. "Let's move onto the next Mushroom!" Yui declared on Kirito's shoulder. "Yeah!" cheered Donald and Goofy in response.

* * *

><p>They decided to go to Disney Castle next, wondering if Queen Minnie would know if any Heartless were inside the castle. While she said the Heartless were no longer able to get into the castle anymore thanks to the Cornerstone of Light, she said that there had been rumors of a Heartless in the past that was unable to be beaten by anyone. Kirito groaned as he knew what this meant; They had to go back through the door in the Cornerstone room, back to Timeless River.<p>

They arrived back in time, and in their 'retro' looks. Kirito didn't like this world because of its' illogical standpoint. The group decided to visit Captain Pete at the docks. When the trio asked him, he said that there was a Mushroom near the waterway that was like a jumping punching bag; It kept moving around and it wanted to be hit a hundred times in a short period of time. As Pete began to rant on how frustrated the Heartless was, the team decided to leave him be in his anger, and find the Heartless.

They discovered it in the corner of the waterway, and it was larger than the others they faced. "So if it wants to be hit in a minimal amount of time, then Kirito should do it, since his reaction time is the fastest of the group." Asuna suggested. "Sounds good to me." Kirito responded, stepping towards the Heartless, immediately entering his Limit Form for extra measure.

As soon as he stepped close to the Heartless, Kirito stated, "Okay, what it your challenge, Mushroom XIII?" _If you want to defeat me, #11, you must reduce me to zero quickly._ the Heartless told him. "Bring it on!" Kirito declared. "Number 11… I don't know what Organization XIII member that is." Yui stated.

The Heartless produced two different numbers; the first being the timer, which started at 0:19, and another number above the Heartless' head, which started at 100. Kirito immediately charged in and started way-laying at the Heartless with his dual-wielding.

Every hit started reducing the number above the Heartless' head, and with the clock ticking down, Kirito had to strike as fast as he could. However, the Heartless wasn't gonna make it easy, as it kept jumping around every few seconds, causing Kirito to pursue and continue to strike. Kirito finished his hundredth strike on the Heartless just when the timer struck with one second left.

Kirito backed away from the Heartless, panting out of exhaustion. The Heartless shot fireworks into the air, cheering for the victory. _You're attack speed with a weapon are the fastest I've seen yet. Well done!_ The Heartless commended him, _Never lose that speed of yours. Be prepared for the challenges my brethren has to offer._ "Thank you." Kirito thanked it as the Heartless disappeared.

"Man, you were moving your arms so fast, they became blurs!" Sora stated. "That's how Kirito works." Asuna stated. "And it was something that I could adapt to, unlike this past world." Kirito stated, rolling his shoulders, "Let's head to the next world." "Do we really have to?" Donald asked, "I mean, we did come back here again…" "Donald!" shouted the group.

* * *

><p>The next world they visited was Port Royal in Jack Sparrow's world. They found Jack and the Black Pearl at the docks, gaining some supplies when the crew confronted him. After asking about any unbeatable Heartless, Jack knew exactly where one was; Within the Isla de Muerta.<p>

"Truth be told, I believed that foul mushroom to be under the influence of the Aztec gold. However, we sought to that, savvy?" Jack asked. "Those Heartless challenge you to different kinds of tests." Kirito explained, "We've been challenged by them. We've defeated five so far, but there are still a few more out there. Take us to the Isla de Muerta, and we'll take care of it from there." "Aye, and I shall join you to see how to defeat this Heartless mushroom." Jack added, walking onto the ship, "Let's be on our way then! Hoist the sails, you land-lubbers!" "Aye!" shouted the boys in response. Asuna sighed, shaking her head at this.

Jack brought the Black Pearl to the island where the chest of Aztec gold was at. After wandering through the caverns a bit, they discovered the Heartless underneath the moonlight, waiting for the group. "I've got this!" Sora declared, racing in front of the group to challenge the Heartless.

Poised and at the ready, Sora readied for the challenge the Heartless was about to give. _If you want to defeat me, #10, strike when you see the real me._ The Heartless told Sora. "Number 10?" Sora asked. "I know! That's Luxord, the Organization member who was in this world before!" Yui recalled. "That wretched Organization person again?" Jack growled, "No wonder I wanted to tie this creature to a rock and toss him into Davy Jones' Locker." "Well, Sora's gonna do that for you." Kirito assured the captain as the Heartless floated into the air. It shot a timer into the air, which was marked '0:55'.

The Heartless produced four more clones of itself, and began shuffling itself and the clones around. "I gotta keep an eye on the real one!" Sora declared, keeping his eyes focused on the real Heartless. When they came to a stop, Sora went to the real one, which was on the farthest left side. He jumped and started unleashing a storm of slices from his Keyblade. The Heartless took damage as the others disappeared in a puff of smoke. After several hits, the Heartless backed off, producing more clones, and shuffling again.

"Keep your eyes open, Sora!" Kirito shouted, "This Heartless isn't gonna make it easy for you!" "This is nothing compared to my fight with Luxord before!" Sora stated, "He was less predicable than these things!" Sora saw the Heartless' stop, and raced to the inner-right Heartless, which was the real thing.

This lasted a couple more times, the Heartless shuffling quicker with each round. Sora had to keep an eye on it as it continued to shuffle. In the last round, he nearly lost it among all of its' clones, but Yui was able to point out which was the real one, the center one, and Sora used every bit of his power to finish it off.

It fell backwards and landed on the floor as Sora landed on his feet. "Ya did it, Sora!" Goofy cheered. "Right you are there, mate." Jack added. The Heartless rose up again, and shot fireworks into the air. _You have a sharp eye for the battle, regardless of the help you gained in the end._ The Heartless told Sora, _Then again, who's to say teamwork isn't helpful either. Keep your eyes locked onto your goals as you continue to fight my comrades_. And with that the Heartless disappeared.

"You know, one thing I've noticed is how kind each of these Heartless are." Asuna stated, "That's not something you get from one of their kind." "I agree. These Heartless aren't normal." Yui stated, "Maybe they have more wits than the rest of them." "Yeah, and hopefully they won't cause any trouble for us." Kirito stated, turning to Jack, "You satisfied on how it worked out, captain?" "It was incredibly ridiculous on how easy it was." Jack stated, "Perhaps I should practice a bit on my swordplay." "You'd better." Kirito chuckled, "No offense, but your sword skills are a bit rusty."

* * *

><p>The next world they went to was Aladdin's world in Agrabah. There, they found Aladdin and Iago, who after hearing about the Heartless, explained about a large Heartless sleeping in the treasure room within the Cave of Wonders. The team decided to work together to find it.<p>

It took a while getting to the deepest part of the Cave of Wonders, going through all the multiple rooms. As soon as they reached the treasure room, they discovered the Heartless in the center of the room, sort of nodding off. "That's the biggest one of them we've seen!" gasped Goofy. "I'll say." Kirito agreed.

"Every time we try getting close to that thing, it keeps hitting the hay." Iago explained, "I keep pecking at him to wake up, but he does nothin' but sawin' logs!" "I've tried defeating this Heartless, too." Aladdin added, "However, when its' asleep, it keeps healing itself." "So it recovers in its' sleep." Asuna summed up, "Meaning we need to strike it harder than it recovers." "Leave that to me." Kirito decided, stepping towards the Heartless. "No fair! I want to have a go at it!" Sora pouted. "You'll get the next one!" Asuna retorted. "Stop your whining!" Donald scolded him.

As Kirito approached the Heartless, he saw the V mark on its' back. "Guess that means this is Heartless number 5." Kirito guessed as the Heartless turned to him. _If you want to defeat me, #5, wake me up from my sleep._ The Heartless told Kirito, then it flipped onto its' side in midair, and fell asleep.

It produced a timer in the air that was marked '0:10'. "Ten seconds?" Asuna questioned. "Then I'd best go all out. _Valor!_" Kirito shouted, entering his Valor Form. Using his powerful attacks with his two Keyblades, he started slashing furiously with powerful moves onto the Heartless, which flinched as it got hit with all the attacks. It only took Kirito five seconds to wake up the Heartless.

It spun as it fell on the floor, then it stood upright again and shot fireworks into the air. _Your power is tremendous._ The Heartless stated, T_here is more to this world than just attacking. You have to have the power to back it up, and that you have. Thanks for waking me up. Now give the rest of my family a wake-up call as well._ And with that, the Heartless disappeared.

"So it was a test of power." Aladdin stated as the group came towards Kirito, "I'm glad you were here, Kirito. I don't think I had the power to defeat that thing." "Now it's just five left." Sora stated, "Let's hurry on over to the next world!" "If we're going along the same path we are now, then I'm afraid of knowing where we would go to next." Asuna moaned.

* * *

><p>What Asuna was afraid of going to was Jack Skellington's world. She highly suggested that they should start in Christmas Town first, to see if the Heartless was there. When they arrived, they were now in their Christmas attire. They started out at Santa's workshop, where they found Santa, worn from the work he had just taken care of. According to him, there was a Heartless that seemed to enjoy being within the plaza where they fought Dr. Finkelstein's at. Asuna sighed in relief, glad to see the Heartless wasn't in Halloween Town.<p>

They made their way to the plaza, where they saw the Heartless. "Now it's my turn!" Sora declared, stepping towards the Heartless. As soon as he got close, the Heartless said, _If you want to defeat me, #2, don't get hurt by my shots._ "Number II is Xigbar in Organization XIII, so expect long-ranged attacks." Yui warned Sora.

The Heartless disappeared and reappeared in a puff of smoke above Sora. It then swung its' arm and shot an arrow of magic energy at Sora, who blocked it with his Keyblade, reflecting it back at the Heartless. It did this twice more, and Sora reflected the attacks right back with his Keyblade. It then backed off and started shooting the magic arrows at random speeds, so Sora had to time his blocking right, or it wouldn't work.

The Heartless began floating around the plaza, shooting at Sora with magic arrows, trying to catch Sora off guard. It shot slow shots, fast shots, shots that split into three or five arrows and homed in on Sora. Sora dodge rolled, blocked and used his Reflega spell to block the attacks and redirect them back at the Heartless again. As the crew could clearly see, Sora was being tested on his defense and evasive skills by this Heartless.

After a while, the Heartless stopped shooting and settled back down onto the ground again, and shot fireworks into the air, signaling Sora's victory. _You have the skills to reflect and defend yourself against my magic. Well done._ The Heartless praised to Sora, _Always keep your guard up against my brethren, for they could trick you just as much so. Take care!_ The Heartless disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Well that was tricky." Sora stated, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. He did get nervous during some of the attacks. "You were great out there, Sora!" Kirito commended Sora's efforts. "That was nothing." Sora replied in a boastful manner, "After spending enough time around Goofy and you, Kirito, I got to learn how to defend myself well." Goofy and Kirito chuckled at Sora's comment. "Let's head to the next world, and find the next Heartless." Asuna told the group, who nodded in response.

* * *

><p>While they didn't find any Mushroom XIII Heartless in the Pride Lands, they got news that there were two different sightings of Heartless in Twilight Town and one in front of Yen Sid's tower. When they landed in front of the clocktower of Twilight Town, the team decided to split up into three groups to take on each Heartless, then meet back there again. Sora and Yui went to board the magic train to Yen Sid's tower while Asuna with Donald and Kirito with Goofy went in different directions as well.<p>

Asuna and Donald found their target first before the others. It was within the Tunnelway, in an open space next to a waterline. "Here we are." Asuna stated, seeing the Heartless before her. It looked more aggravated than the other Mushroom XIII they've encountered. "Go for it, Asuna!" squawked Donald as Asuna approached the Heartless.

As she got close to it, the Heartless spoke in a growl, _If you want to defeat me, #7, calm my rage._ "Calm your rage?" Asuna asked as the Heartless produced a timer into the air, which was marked '0:10'.

She had barely got ready when the Heartless enveloped itself in black aura, and charged at Asuna. She got knocked away, but the Heartless continued to charge. "Asuna!" Donald cried out. "This one feels like that berserk form of Saïx's in Organization XIII." Asuna muttered, "In that case, I'll just have to use magic!"

Asuna unleashed Firaga, enveloping herself in flames and burning the Heartless, then shocking it with Thundaga before she got struck again by the Heartless. She spun backwards, and positioned her feet against the wall as she shot a pair of Blizzaga spells at the Heartless. She jumped towards it, and had an idea. She used her Reflega to redirect the damage she could've taken from the Heartless right back at it, heavily damaging it and making it fall face first.

As Asuna panted, she looked up at the timer, which had stopped at '0:02'. Asuna saw the Heartless get up again, and send fireworks into the air. _Thank you for calming me down._ The Heartless thanked Asuna, _I was having a really bad day today, but your quick magic spells stopped me. Hopefully, the others are having a better day than me._ And with that, the Heartless vanished. "I've heard of bad tempers, but to use it in a challenge like this was pretty rough." Asuna sighed.

* * *

><p>Sora reached his target next after departing from the train and finding the Heartless at the steps of Yen Sid's tower. For some reason, it was buried into the ground with a black vortex. "I wonder which of the Organization this one represents?" Sora asked. As he and Yui approached the Heartless, the Heartless spoke up, <em>If you want to defeat me, #8, keep me from landing.<em> "This one… Number VIII is Axel's number!" Yui stated. "So this one represents Axel." Sora muttered, recalling the Nobody in question.

Sora approached the Heartless, and grabbed its' mushroom-like head. He pulled it out of the ground, and it soared high into the air. Sora understood what he had to do. It wasn't any different compared to bouncing a ball into the air to keep it from landing. Sora jumped and started striking the Heartless upwards, keeping it high into the air. He fell back to the ground, and saw the Heartless fall quickly to the ground. Sora sent it flying upwards with his Keyblade again, and leapt after it.

Sora kept repeating this same technique over and over, making sure the Heartless didn't land onto the ground. He wasn't sure how this related to Axel, but he continued to do this. He entered his Master Form to make it easier for him to keep up with the task. It was getting harder and harder to do, since it kept falling faster and faster. He had lost track as to how many times he struck the Heartless before it finally landed, but Yui was counting, and she said Sora hit it 87 times.

The Heartless rose to its' feet again and shot fireworks into the air. _That was a lot of fun! Being in the ground made things really cramped._ The Heartless stated, _Memorize those skills of aerial combat and balance should you ever encounter something like that again. Take care, now!_ And with that, the Heartless vanished. "Memorize it, huh?" Sora echoed the words, recalling Axel's phrase to 'get it memorized', "Sure, I'll do that!"

* * *

><p>Kirito and Goofy found their target in front of the old mansion, within the old garden front. "It won't be long till we have to go back home again." Kirito stated, looking up at the mansion, then looking at the Heartless in front of them, "But first things first…" "Good luck, Kirito." Goofy told him as Kirito approached the Heartless.<p>

The Heartless looked like it was ready to move about, as it bounced a bit from side to side. _If you want to defeat me, #12, deal with as many taunts._ The Heartless produced a timer into the air, which was marked '1:00'. The Mushroom vanished and appeared aways from Kirito, taunting him. "So I have to defeat as many as I can." Kirito stated, "Then I'll use my strongest form. _Final!_" Kirito entered his Final Form, and flew at the making it vanish, only to have it reappear in a new area. His quick-pace didn't slow down as he went back to back with his strikes.

Every time he struck it and made it vanish, the Heartless appeared in a different part of the gardens. How it kept moving about made things a little more difficult for Kirito, but he used his speed and power of his new form to home in on it and take the Heartless out. He continued to do this as the timer kept going down and down.

When the minute was up, Kirito was out of the Final Form and tired from pursuing the Heartless. It reappeared in the middle of the garden, shooting fireworks into the air. _Your hand-eye coordination and you ability to keep up with me is really good._ The Heartless spoke to him, _You should get stronger with those skills, but you were good enough to beat me. If you want to find #1, go to the place where the memories reach the skies._ And with that, the Heartless disappeared.

"So not only did I beat it, it gave us the location of the next Heartless." Kirito stated. "But where do ya think that place the Heartless told us about is at?" Goofy asked. "Good question." Kirito responded, pondering on what the Heartless said, "The place where memories reach the skies… For some reason, that sounds familiar, but I can't exactly know where it's at." "Let's go back and tell the others about it." Goofy suggested. "Good idea. Maybe they would know something about it.

Once everyone was back together again, Kirito relayed the message the Heartless said to him onto the others. "Any idea where that might be?" Kirito asked them. "I can't figure it out." Asuna replied, with Donald shaking his head side to side. "Hey Yui, do you know?" Sora asked Yui on his shoulder. "Give me a second…" Yui replied, placing her hands on her head, thinking back to all the places they've visited.

Finally, Yui said, "I believe I know what place that Heartless was talking about." "Where is it?" Kirito asked. "I had to research all of the places we've been to so far, using the words 'memory' and 'sky' as the keys." Yui explained, "After that, it came down to one place; Memory's Skyscraper in the World That Never Was."

"Alright, Yui!" cheered Sora. Yui smiled at this praising. Then we'd better head to that place, right now." Kirito stated, "If what that Heartless said was true, we're facing the number 1 of the Mushroom XIII." "And since it's reflecting off of Organization XIII, that means it will imitate something from Xemnas, the Organization's leader." With their minds set for whatever was gonna come their way, they raced onward towards the route to the Organization's world.

* * *

><p>After arriving into the dark city, the team started to wander through it. The Heartless seem to be more abundant than ever, so they had to take out a lot as they made their way to their destination. When they arrived, they found the Heartless in front of the Memory's Skyscraper.<p>

"So that's the head honcho of the Heartless, huh?" Sora asked, rolling his sleeves up, "Right. Let's do it!" He was about to step forward when Asuna stopped him. "You boys took out more Heartless than I did." she reminded him, "Let me finish this one up." Asuna stepped forward, and the Heartless looked to her. _If you want to defeat me, #1, catch me off guard._ It said to her. Asuna readied herself for whatever came next.

The Heartless shot a timer into the air, which was marked '0:30'. It then used a Reversal technique, coming right behind Asuna. The moment she felt its' presence behind her, she knew what had to be done. The moment it tried to strike, she used her Quick Slide technique to get behind it and strike with several jabs. It used a Reversal again, and Asuna timed the attack right to avoid and strike again. After the third one, Asuna switched into her Wisdom Form to gain even more speed and power.

The Heartless and Asuna were dancing all around the area, Asuna keeping up with the Heartless' tricks. The key here was to make sure she struck at the right time, or else the Heartless would see her coming, and use another Reversal after the first one, which had happened a couple times, but Asuna used another Reversal after that to avoid the Heartless' attack, but it left her farther away than she would be if she was using a Quick Slide.

When the thirty seconds were up, Asuna and the Heartless stopped their dance. "Did she do good enough?" Goofy asked as the others waited hopefully for the Heartless to speak. _Your timing and evasiveness is quite incredible._ The Heartless commended Asuna's efforts, _You have done well facing all of my brethren. Now all that is left is #13, who is waiting beyond the point you started. We await for your arrival._ The Heartless shot fireworks into the air, and disappeared.

"Alright!" Sora cheered. "We did it!" Donald squawked. "Now we can fight the final Heartless." Kirito stated, "But I wonder who this one is?" "Based on the information I know, the Organization member that was marked XIII was… Roxas." Yui informed the group. Sora looked to Yui, wondering. _Roxas…my Nobody._ Sora thought to himself.

The group looked to Sora as he looked down, then he got serious. "Let's get moving." he told the group. "The Heartless said that #13 is beyond the place we started." Asuna recalled, "That must mean it's at Radiant Garden, since that's where we started this whole thing." "Then let's go beyond the spot we fought the first Heartless." Kirito decided. The team understood the objective, and went to the Gummi Ship.

* * *

><p>They left the Organization's world, and journeyed back to Radiant Garden again. They dropped in there and begun their search for the final Heartless. They ran past the place where they fought the #9 Heartless, and journeyed into the ravine. They came out to the Great Maw, and saw, in the distance, all twelve Heartless they fought appear together, jumping up and down. "Be ready for anything." Kirito warned the group, who pulled their weapons out in response to the sight of the Heartless.<p>

They approached the Heartless, and a light glowed from above, shining down upon the group. The team looked up to see another two Heartless, the same as the rest of the Mushroom XIII, descend from above, and land in front of the group.

_We are the final two members of Mushroom XIII._ One of the Heartless informed the group, _We have two more tasks for you to accomplish._ "Hold on, I thought you said there was only one more Heartless of your group to deal with!" Sora stated. I_ am a new recruit to the ranks._ The other Heartless informed the group, _I am #15, and I will test you. If you want to defeat me, #15, your memories must be strong._

"Number 15?" Asuna asked, "But that's…" "Gouxus' number." Kirito recalled, frowning at the number, "However, I believe that this Heartless is different to Sugou's Nobody. But what does it mean by 'our memories must be strong'?" "Let me handle this one." Yui stated, flying out of Kirito pocket and going in front of the group. "Yui? But why?" Sora asked. "Because Yui has a better memory than the rest of us." Asuna answered, "I bet this task is suppose to test that part of our skills.

Yui flew in front of the Heartless, who nodded in approval. _Answer all of my questions,_ _and I admit defeat._ The Heartless told her, _Question 1: What is the number of the largest Heartless in our group?_ "That would be Number 5." Yui answered. Heartless numbers 1, 2 & 3 behind #15 shot fireworks into the air.

_Question 2: What is the goal of #9's defeat?_ The Heartless questioned Yui. She pondered a bit, then answered, "Keep it dancing." #4, 5 and 6 Heartless shot fireworks.

_Question 3: Which of the Heartless takes more time to defeat; #5, #7, or #10?_ The Heartless questioned. "That would be #10." Yui answered. #7, 8, and 9 Heartless shot fireworks.

_Question 4: Which Heartless would you find in the world in the past?_ The Heartless asked. Yui thought for a second before recalling, "That was #11!" #10, 11 and 12 more Heartless shot fireworks into the air.

_Question 5: True or false: #3 is someone you must fight against._ The Heartless quizzed her. "False." Yui answered, "That's the one who Sora gathered the orbs from." #15 shot fireworks into the air. Congratulations. _Your memory of us is exceptionally well._ The Heartless stated, _Now all that is left is #13. May you keep us in your memories._

#15 backed off as #13 approached the group. N_ow the only one left is me. If you want to defeat me, #13, you must…_ The team waited for the Heartless' task, but it said, _Actually, there is none. I have no task that you can't accomplish. I admit defeat._ The team was surprised at this.

"So, you won't fight us?" Sora asked. _We, the Mushroom XIII, were tasked to see how powerful you were, and if you were able to accomplish any goal._ The Heartless stated, raising its' hands, _Please, take these as proof you defeated all of us._ It produced a Keyblade keychain, along with an orb with the face of the Mushroom XIII Heartless on it. "That's the Winner's Proof Keyblade." Yui informed them, "It is tremendously powerful, but you can't gain experience with it." Sora was the one who took that.

The silver orb then split into three different balls of light, and approached the three Keyblade wielders. They raised their hands as the lights settled in their palms, revealing themselves to be two silver crowns for the boys and a silver tiara for Asuna. "What are these?" Kirito asked, looking at the crown. _They are proofs of accomplishment._ the #13 Heartless informed him,_ You have appeased us, so we offer you these as your achievements. Wear them well, and march forward to greater achievements._

The Heartless cheered for the group as they started to float into the sky, and all of them disappeared into a glittering of lights. For a while, no one spoke, then Sora said, "I don't know about you, but I had a lot of fun doing that." "I agree." Kirito seconded, "Each of the Heartless gave us the ability to hone our skills to see how far we have come."

"And we got some interesting prizes in the end." Asuna stated, placing the tiara on her head, "How do I look?" "You look beautiful, mama!" Yui praised her. "Yeah, but not as cool as me!" Sora replied, already placing his crown on his head and looking to Kirito, "C'mon, put yours on!" Kirito looked at his crown, then placed it on his head. "A pair of kings and a queen." Asuna joked, "What a group of royal Keyblade wielders we are." The team laughed at this, feeling glad that they have accomplished this task.


	9. Mysterious! Kirito & The Lingering Will!

**Sorry it took so long. I had college holding me up a lot, so I didn't have time to work on this as much. But now it is done. Here's the next Proof for the heroes to face against, and it is one that everyone has been hoping for. I hope you guys are satisfied with it!**

_(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)_

* * *

><p>(<em>The following has no timeline with the SAK story. However, they do have all the powers and magic up to the end of SAK, so the closest timeline would be after the fall of Organization XIII and before Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Leafa and Recon left to their world.)<em>

Kirito was standing on the cracked grounds in the badlands, the dust blowing across the area. "Where am I?" he asked, looking about. He noticed an abundance of Keyblades stuck into the ground, but they looked old and lifeless, almost like tombstones. Kirito saw a Keyblade before him, the Ends of the Earth Keyblade, sticking point-first into the ground.

He looked to one side, and saw a young man in a bronze-colored, full body armor, with a helmet and visor covering his face, walking towards Kirito. He looked the other directions, and saw a woman in silver and blue full armor, just the same as the boy. Kirito looked to the Keyblade, reached out with a gauntlet hand, and pulled out the Keyblade.

He and the other two, who also produced their Keyblades, came together, and looked beyond, seeing two figures coming towards them. Kirito made the first move, racing towards the two figures, his Keyblades ready to strike at them. Then he saw Sora's face on one of the figures. "Sora? But why?!" Kirito asked, though he didn't seem to be talking himself. He made to strike Sora.

"Kirito, wake up!" Sora shouted. Kirito snapped his eyes open. He was resting back on his seat in the Gummi ship. He looked around, seeing everyone look at him. _It was a dream…_ Kirito thought to himself.

"Are you okay?" Donald asked him. "Don't tell me you were having another nightmare about our friends again?" Asuna hoped. "No. It wasn't like that." Kirito replied, rubbing his head, then looking at the hand that was a gauntlet before, "But it was definitely a strange dream." "Well, whatever it was, just be glad it's over." Sora stated.

Kirito looked outside and saw the ship was moving along. "So where's our heading?" "Disney Castle." Yui replied, who was on top of Goofy's hat, "Queen Minnie apparently discovered something that she wanted us to see." "I wonder what it is?" Goofy asked. "We'll find out soon enough!" Sora responded, "I hope it's something good, like a new power or something." Kirito settled back in his chair again, wondering. What was that dream he saw?

_(Cue 'Let's Wondering' opening)_

The team arrived in the docking bay of Disney Castle. They descended up to the royal library, where they saw Queen Minnie and Daisy waiting for the group. They lined up in front of them, their postures in authorities. "We've arrived, your Majesties." Goofy announced. Daisy raced to Donald and hugged him, making him fall over. "I'm so glad you've come back!" Daisy told him. Donald was trying to get Daisy off of her, while Sora, Goofy and Asuna laughed at him.

Kirito looked to Queen Minnie and asked, "Excuse me, what was the reason for you calling for us? You said you discovered something." "Of course." Minnie replied, "It was sometime after you left dealing with the Mushroom XIII Heartless. Something appeared in the Hall of the Cornerstone." The others stopped to hear what Queen Minnie had to say.

"So what is it?" Kirito asked. "It would be better if we showed it to you." Minnie responded, walking to the doors, "Come this way, please." She and Daisy walked to the doors, followed closely by the heroes. They went along the hallway, and entered into the throne room. The pathway into the Hall of the Cornerstone was open, so they descended down into the room.

When they arrived, the team noticed the shining Cornerstone of Light, along with the door to the past. There was one more thing in that room, however, that wasn't there before. Behind the Cornerstone, there was a large, swirling portal of black and white energy, sparkling in a similar fashion as the Cornerstone.

"Where did this come from?" Asuna asked as the team walked towards it. "It was Chip and Dale who first discovered this portal." Daisy explained, "When they came down here to check on the Cornerstone, they noticed it appear out of the blue." "We asked Merlin about it, and he believes it's a gateway to a long-lost world." Minnie followed, "We don't know where it might lead us, so we have been afraid of entering into it."

The three Keyblade Wielders drew closer to the portal, looking at it. "Can you feel that energy?" Kirito asked. "I can." Sora replied, "And for some reason, I'm getting a bad feeling about it." "It's like wherever this leads is gonna bring us to a powerful opponent." Asuna stated, "But for some reason, it doesn't feel like a Heartless or a Nobody made this. I have no idea what we might encounter."

Kirito was perplexed by this portal. It was weird, but he felt something inside of him draw closer to this portal. It's as if whatever was on the other side was connected to him. Was it something he had encountered before? No, he couldn't remember getting a feeling like this before, and he certainly had never been to this dimension before all of this either. Even so, he was still connected.

"We were hoping you would check out what was inside that portal for us." Daisy told the heroes, "If what we believe is true, there might be something we can uncover on the other side of that portal." "No offense, but it makes me feel like you are using us like guinea pigs." Asuna told the queens. "Still, the queen's orders are absolute." Goofy retorted, "We should at least try."

"I'd say we check it out." Sora decided, "What do you guys think?" "Yeah!" Donald agreed. "I think so, too." Kirito replied, thought it was out of the curiosity of why he felt connected to the portal.

The team turned to the two queens. "Your Highnesses, we will go investigate the portal for ya." Goofy informed them. "Oh, thank you." Minnie replied, "I know you will be okay in there." "Just be sure to come back, Donald." Daisy told Donald. "I will!" Donald replied. "We'll keep him safe." Asuna winked at Daisy. The five heroes turned to the portal, and walked right into it.

When the team came out of the portal, they arrived onto a rocky platform, surrounded by canyons within vast badlands. The skies were gray and cloudy, without a single sign of sunlight entering through. A dust devil was blinding the area in front of them.

"What is this place?" Sora asked, looking about. "Feels kinda lonely around here." Goofy replied. "It kinda reminds me of the desolate Pride Lands." Asuna compared. Kirito looked into his pocket. "Hey, Yui. Do you know where we are?" he asked as Yui popped her head out. "I don't know." Yui replied, "This landscape is new to me. I have no idea where we are."

As the team looked around, The team noticed the dust starting to settle down, revealing something within it. It was a suit of heavy, full-body armor, crouched down in a kneeling position. It was dark, with copper and gold armor pieces protecting it, and a long, golden cape. The head was covered with a black visor and copper prongs going upwards. It was gripping the top of a blade in his hands, which was stuck point-first into the ground. It had a earthy look to it, with a pale aqua-green rounded guard and a dark brown blade with jagged teeth.

"Is that armor?" Donald asked. "Looks like a knight, but why is it crouching like that?" Asuna asked. "And that weapon…is that a Keyblade?" Kirito asked as Yui examined it. "Yes. That's the 'Ends of the Earth' Keyblade." Yui explained. "But where is its' keychain?" Sora asked, noticing it wasn't there.

For a while, everyone watched the armor, wondering if it was gonna do anything. Kirito looked at it, feeling a sudden connection to the armor. He had never seen that armor nor that Keyblade before in his life, but for some reason, he felt like he was connected to it, almost like he was inside that armor before. His heart was calling out to the armor, wondering if it would respond.

_Aqua… Ven…_ A voice suddenly called out. It seemed like it came from the lifeless armor, though it had not moved even at the sight of the crew. "Did the armor just say something?" Donald asked. "Be on your guard, everyone!" Asuna told the crew as they drew their weapons. _Keyblades?_ the armor noticed, _Who are you?_ "That's what we want to know." Kirito responded, frowning at the armor.

_I know one of you. We've met before, way back when_ The armor spoke, _Two of you, I do not, but I feel like people I know._ "Which one of us is he talking about?" Asuna asked, "Who's the one he has met?"

_No, that wasn't you._ The armor continued, _You are not the one I chose._ "Chose?" Sora asked, confused. _Where is he?_ The armor asked, _You…you feel like me. Xe…ha…nort? Is that you?_ "Xehanort?" Asuna echoed. "This armor know him?" Sora asked. "_You feel like me? Which one of us was he referring to?"_ Kirito thought to himself, then he wondered, _"Could he be talking about me? I feel as if I am connected to it, too._"

_Xeha…nort…_ The armor spoke, his body shaking a little, then without warning, it stood up as it's echoing voice shouted, _Xehanort!_ It rose to its' feet, and the crew prepared themselves. It grasped the handle of the Keyblade with its' right hand, and pulled it out of the ground. It held it to one side, similar to how Kirito held his blade. The team felt a powerful aura coming from the person before them. This armored knight was gonna be a powerful opponent.

The knight jumped into the air and dashed at the group with his Keyblade at hand. Kirito jumped up and fought head on with the knight while the others ducked out of the way. There was a clang coming from the clash of weapons as the knight passed by Kirito. "He's fast!" Kirito gasped, then felt the knight come right back at Kirito, striking him in the back and sending him flying to the ground aways from the group. "Kirito!" Asuna cried.

Sora saw the knight come back again, this time aiming for him. Sora placed his guard up to endure the attack. The knight struck and sent Sora skidding backwards as he held his ground, bringing himself and the knight to a stop. Donald and Goofy came from behind and struck the knight with their weapons, but it hardly did anything. The knight jumped up and transformed his Keyblade into a whip-like form, sending flying all around him, striking Sora, Donald and Goofy repeatedly.

Asuna jumped high and thrusted hard into the knight, then unleashing her Blizzaga from the tip of her blade, damaging it even more. They landed, and the knight dashed to Asuna, unleashing two strikes from his Keyblade, to which she blocked both of them, then transformed his Keyblade into a drill form, and unleashing a thrust of energy with the drill, sending Asuna flying backwards.

"Bastard!" Kirito shouted, coming from behind and striking the knight hard with his Keyblade. He followed it up with a series of combo strikes at the knight, who took them. It retaliated with its' own series of attacks, to which Kirito countered all of them with his own attacks. The knight used his drilling thrust, but Kirito side-stepped the attack, and Asuna appeared out of nowhere, unleashing rapid thrusts onto the knight.

The knight transformed his Keyblade into a whip again, attempting to strike Asuna, but Sora jumped in and countered the attack, sending the whip the opposite way. The knight quickly adapted, and followed the rotation of his whip, circling around to hit the two from the opposite direction. It returned his weapon back to normal just in time to counter Kirito's 'Sonic Leap' Sword Skill.

A thunderbolt from Donald shot down upon the knight, followed by Goofy's shield discus. They did very little, and the knight shoved Kirito away, and soared at the two who attacked him, slashing them with his Keyblade. He kept up his flight by slashing past the two again, then going towards the three Keyblade wielders, who got at least struck once by one of the knight's flying attacks.

"This guy's fierce!" Sora snapped as Asuna performed Curaga while the others rose to their feet. "He's relentless and powerful, that's for sure." Kirito stated, "Yui, any suggestions?" "This knight is a powerful foe, however after several series of attacks, it stops for a few seconds." Yui examined, "If you guys can just endure the attacks it delivers, you should be able to find an opening in the knight's attacks!" "Then let's not waste a minute." Asuna stated, seeing Donald and Goofy getting pummeled by the knight, "We'd better defeat it!"

The team returned to the fight, and started to struggle with the knight, who had been fighting using the same three moves; darting through the air while slashing, unleashing a ground combo with a drilling finish, and transforming his Keyblade into a whip and lashing it all around him. The team had to endure all of the attacks it pulled, though it was tough since its' attacks were more powerful than any other opponent they faced. Even Goofy's shield didn't help defend against his attacks.

The knight unleashed his whip, and Kirito countered by jumping and striking down at the end of the whip with all his might. The clash caused a great shockwave to burst from impact, and send Yui flying out of Kirito's pocket. She flipped through the air, then stopped herself with her wings. "Papa!" Yui cried, watching as Kirito struggled to endure the attack.

Kirito flipped over the whip and charged straight at the knight, slashing at it with his 'Horizontal Square' Sword Skill. The four slashes took affect, and it made the knight stumble a bit as he reverted his whip to a Keyblade again. Kirito turned around and slashed repeatedly at the knight, not giving it a chance to recover. Finally, the knight got tossed back by a heavy slash, falling onto its' back.

"Way to go, Kirito!" Sora cheered. "That's showin' him!" Donald added. "Don't let your guard down yet." Asuna stated, seeing Kirito standing there in his fighting stance, "This battle is far from over." She was right, for the knight got to his feet again, ready to continue. He looked towards Kirito, who hadn't moved from his spot.

The knight charged forward and clashed with Kirito's blade, the two creating another shockwave. Kirito was skidding backwards as he held his guard up, digging his feet into the ground until they came to a halt. "Kirito!" Sora shouted, racing along side the others as they went to aid Kirito.

_You… you're soul is similar…_ the knight told Kirito, who looked a bit surprised, _But this feeling…is different…I do not feel as if we met before…_ "What the hell do you mean?!" Kirito demanded, "Of course we haven't met. I'm from a different dimension from you, so how should I…"

Before he could finished, something flashed through his mind. It was the moment where he defended Asuna from an attack from the Gleam Eye using his Elucidator to deflect the demon's blade. "Get out!" Kirito shouted to Asuna, who got up and jumped back as Kirito prepared to face the Gleam Eyes himself.

After that, he had another memory, but one that wasn't his own. He jumped in to protect Ventus from an attack coming from Eraqus, then shouting, "Master, have you gone mad?!" "….!" Eraqus shouted, though the name he called him was muffled in Kirito's ears, "I command you; step aside!" "No!" Kirito snapped as he saw a burst of light.

Kirito gasped as he came to his senses, then saw the knight getting knocked back by a double attack from Sora and Goofy. "Kirito!" Asuna shouted as she, Donald and Yui came to him. "What was that?" Kirito asked, shaking his head at what he just saw. "I don't know, but both you and that knight didn't seem to move for a moment there." Asuna explained, looking at the knight, who was fighting against Sora and Goofy now, "It was like you were in a daze or something."

"What happened to you out there?" Donald asked him. "I…don't have a clue." Kirito replied, "But maybe…I think I saw something. A memory that was mine, and someone else's." "Someone else's?" Asuna asked, "What are you talking about?" Kirito pondered for a second, but shook his head. "I'm not sure, but now's not the time to think about it." Kirito replied, "We need to fight this guy with everything we got! He is far from defeated." Asuna and Donald nodded in response, and the three fighters charged in, leaving Yui watching them.

During that time, Sora and Goofy were giving it all they got against the knight, who jumped and dashed through the air, slicing at them. Sora and Goofy jumped out of the way the first time, but the second one struck Sora hard. The knight came at Sora again as he recovered midair, and used Reflega to block and repel his next attack, then entered his Master Form for more power.

Sora and the knight landed onto the ground simultaneously, then dashed at one another, clashing blades with one another as they went with back to back slashes. Goofy drank down a potion to heal himself as Donald, Kirito and Asuna came to Sora, but could not see a way to get into their fight since they were fighting so fast and hard, that they were afraid that aiding Sora would hinder him.

The knight thrusted with his transformed drilling Keyblade, but Sora used his Master Slash, creating an X-slash with his two Keyblades, countering the knight's attack. The two created a blast of energy that sent the others toppling back aways from the two. Sora endured the attack as he squinted with one eye at the knight, who's visor made it difficult to tell how he was reacting.

_I know you, way back when._ the knight told Sora, _But I did not choose you. Who chose you?_ "Chose me for what?!" Sora demanded, "You aren't making any sense here!"

Sora suddenly had a flashback, similar to Kirito's. Sora, Kairi and Riku were at their favorite spot on the Destiny Islands; On the sideways Paopu fruit tree, watching the sunset. "And suppose there are other worlds…" Riku told the two, "Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater."

Then Sora had another flashback. From another point of view, Sora saw Terra walk up to him and Aqua. "Yep, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own." he told the two, "The light is their hearts, and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns."

Sora came back into focus, backing away from the knight before him. _What the…was that my memories?_ Sora thought to himself, seeing the knight stand there, looking at Sora, _I know that first one, but I don't remember that second memory. Yet for some reason, it was familiar._

Sora looked down, wondering, then saw the knight charge at Sora, and crossed his Keyblades in front of him to block the attack. Asuna jumped over Sora and thrusted her Keyblade at the knight, knocking him back. "You guys are losing it, here!" Asuna told Sora, "Get in the battle, Sora!" Sora shook his head, refocusing himself as Donald, Goofy and Kirito darted past him, and charged along with them.

Asuna was now leading the attack against the knight, who unleashed his whip again, knocking back Kirito and Goofy. "Donald, let's go!" Asuna shouted. "You got it!" Donald responded, and they performed their 'Duck Flare' Limit attack. Donald hopped onto Asuna's back, summoning forth series of rockets that shot at the knight, who started dashing through the air in attempt to avoid the attack, but the rockets kept homing at him. Asuna and Donald finished with the last barrage of rockets, which exploded and encasing the knight in a cloud of smoke.

Donald hopped off of Asuna's shoulders as the two watched to see when the knight would come out, with the other three right behind. Yui was above the scene, surveying the battle. Then out of nowhere, the knight darted out of the smoke, slashing at Asuna and Donald and sending them flying.

While Donald's light weight carried him farther, Asuna recovered midair and performed a secondary jump to avoid the next dashing slash. She landed down on the ground again, then heard a cry from Sora as she turned just in time to see the knight dash at her from above. She darted to the side with her Quick Run, avoiding the explosive attack that the man delivered.

Asuna stopped and turned to see the knight summon multiple sentinels of glowing white energy that surrounded Asuna and the boys. Asuna saw them charging up, and dashed again to avoid the energy shots from the sentinels. Goofy pulled Donald out of the way as he, Kirito and Sora dodged the attacks themselves. The sentinels kept disappearing and reappearing near one of the five, attempting to hit them, but the team was evasive enough to avoid all of the attacks. Kirito even destroyed a couple before they could fire.

Asuna dodged two more shots when she saw the knight appear before her again, bringing all the sentinels back and transforming his Keyblade into a cannon. "Look out, mama!" Yui cried as the knight charged up his Ultima Cannon, firing a large sphere of energy at Asuna, who was shocked to see the size of the attack. It made contact, and there was a large explosion. "Asuna!" shouted Kirito and Sora together. Asuna jumped backwards out of the smoke that came from the explosion, skidding to a halt. "Good thing I had my guard up." Asuna sighed in relief.

Asuna looked up to see the knight dash through the smoke of the explosion towards her, and Asuna unleashed her 'Shooting Star' Rapier Skill, countering his attack. Asuna struggled to keep pushing against the knight with the momentum she was using from her attack.

"Why do you want to fight us?!" Asuna demanded the knight, "You claim one of us is Xehanort, but we're not him!" The knight did not answer her question, but instead said, _Your heart…it reminds me of her. Are you connected to her?_ "Huh?" Asuna replied, confused at these words.

Just then, Asuna's mind flashed back. She was standing above Kirito, who was on his back underneath a tree, his eyes closed. Asuna was not pleased with Kirito's lazy demeanor when he should be fighting to free everyone from SAO. "I can't believe you!" she huffed, "Do you even understand what's going on? Every day here is another one lost in the real world!" "Yeah, but right now, we're not in the real world, are we?" Kirito replied, "We're alive, in Aincrad." Asuna was surprised, not realizing this belief before.

Then Asuna had another memory, one of which wasn't her's. She was with Terra and Ventus, surrounded by pipelines and stone walls. At this point, the person Asuna was seeing from had admitted she had been ordered to keep an eye on Terra. "I'm on my own now, alright?" Terra told the two with his back to them. "Terra, please, listen!" Asuna called out, "The Master has no reason to distrust you, really! He was just worried." Terra continued to walk away from her and Ventus.

Asuna came back from reality. "What…" Asuna started, but she lost her focus, and was sent flying back from the knight's attack. She fell to the ground, in pain. "Asuna!" Kirito called out, rushing to her side. "We'll get him!" Sora declared, indicating himself, Donald and Goofy. They charged on ahead as Kirito helped Asuna up again.

"Are you okay, Asuna?" Kirito asked, "What happened?" "I…don't have a clue." Asuna replied, "But I think I had the same kind of moment you had. A memory from the past, and another memory that wasn't mine." "You, too?" Kirito asked, surprised.

Asuna looked at Sora, who was working together with Donald and Goofy as they fought against the knight, who unleashed its' sentinels again, aiming at the trio. "Maybe that one moment Sora was out of focus, he saw something, too." Asuna assumed. Kirito looked to the knight, wondering.

"I wonder what those memories are about; the ones that weren't ours?" Kirito asked. "I don't know, but I do know he's responsible for them." Asuna replied, indicating the knight, who unleashed his Ultima Cannon at Sora, who used his Keyblade to smack the sphere of energy back at the knight, who jumped out of the way. "We should keep fighting until we find the answers." Kirito told Asuna, ready to fight again, "Let's get back in the battle again!" "Right!" Asuna replied, and the two charged in.

The knight now spun his Keyblade into the air, then transformed it into a flying vehicle of some kind, jumping onto it like a motorcycle. He spun it in a circle before directing it at Sora, Donald and Goofy. He shot towards them like a bullet, sending the trio flying through the air. The knight spun his vehicle to Kirito and Asuna, and shot towards them, who also got hit. The vehicle reverted back to normal, and he landed neatly onto the ground, though the same couldn't have been said for the heroes, as they moaned as they got to their feet again.

Sora and Kirito each used their Curaga spell to heal everyone's wounds, then got ready to continue fighting. The knight was now pulling out all the moves it had just used at the group, attempting to strike them down. It even combined a pair of his sentinels with his attacks from his vehicle, making it tough for the team to dodge all the attacks. Not to mention the guy was very skilled with riding his vehicle, precisely aiming at the group.

"This has gone long enough!" Kirito shouted, "_Final!_" Kirito entered his Final Drive Form, producing his wings and shooting at the knight, who got onto his vehicle again and the sentinels. He dashed at Kirito while the sentinels appeared in front of his path. Kirito blasted right through the sentinels and clashed with the knight, passing each other with minor damage to one another. They turned and clashed once again, with the same results.

They flew high into the air, clashing again and again with one another, with the others watching them dart through the air. The knight produced more sentinels to interfere with Kirito, but he quickly disposed of them. "It's like a dogfight up there!" Asuna stated. "But Goofy's the only dog here." Sora pointed out. "Not that kind of dogfight, you numbskull." Asuna retorted, "I mean the aerial kind." "Uh, I knew that." Sora replied in an unconvincing manner.

Kirito was losing his altitude, and was weakened from the continuous fighting. The knight flew at him again, but a wincing of pain caused Kirito to shift his angle, narrowly dodging the knight's attack. _If this keeps up, I'll be unable to continue fighting._ Kirito thought to himself, _I need to heal myself._

Kirito dove down to the ground, and the knight pursued after him. Kirito looked behind to see his pursuer, then had a crazy thought. He pulled back with his wings, flipped himself over the oncoming vehicle, then grabbed the tail fin of it. He got pulled along with the ride as the vehicle dove to the ground, near a large boulder.

Kirito mustered all of his strength to hold onto the vehicle. The knight looked behind to see Kirito use his Final Form's telepathic powers to swing the Keyblades continuously at the guy, damaging him and distracting him from the oncoming boulder. Kirito let go at the last second as the knight drove his vehicle straight into the boulder, obliterating it and causing himself to be cascaded underneath the large rubble.

Kirito fell to the ground face-first. He was in too much pain from the battle. "Here." Asuna told Kirito, handing him an elixir. "Thanks." Kirito replied, taking the elixir and drinking it down. With his strength back to normal, he rose to his feet again, with Sora, Asuna, Donald, Goofy and Yui surrounding him.

They all looked to the pile of rubble, Kirito's Final form used up as he reverted back to normal. "Is it over?" Donald asked. For a few seconds, they thought it was. Then the pile of rock blasted outwards as the knight reappeared, his Keyblade raised as he sent the debris flying.

The team shielded themselves from the cascade, then saw the knight. "Looks like he's still raring for more." Sora responded. "How much can this guy take?" Asuna asked incredulously, "He's as resilient as the Commander in SAO. Just who is he?!" Kirito glared at the knight, who looked back at Kirito.

Suddenly, Kirito had a flashback once again. It was after he was defeated by Kayaba/Heathcliff after discovering his identity. Kirito was about to turn into code when his determination and will allowed him to keep himself alive for a few more seconds. "Not yet…" Kirito muttered, gripping Asuna's Lambent Light rapier, "Not yet…" Kayaba was shocked at this, watching Kirito raise the rapier, then with a raging roar of strength, he thrusted the rapier straight through Kayaba, defeating him.

Then Kirito had another flashback. He was kneeling on the ground, the tip of the Ends of the Earth Keyblade stuck to the ground, in the same position as the knight was before fighting him, only now, a white-haired Terra, now Xehanort, was looking at him incredulously. "Your body submits, you're heart succumbs…" he told Kirito, "…so why does your mind resist?!" Kirito didn't reply, but rose to his feet, pulled out the Keyblade out of the ground, and dashed at Terra-Xehanort, slashing at him.

Kirito came back to his senses, realizing what he just saw, and who he was. "I get it now…" Kirito understood, looking at the knight before him. "You get what?" Asuna asked. "This knight…there's no one inside that armor." Kirito replied, "The one who is really controlling that armor…is the will of the former owner."

"The will?" Goofy asked. "Yes." Kirito answered, "He is nothing but a shell and a mind, without a body nor a heart." Kirito replied, seeing the knight standing there, at the ready, "He is only here to fulfill a duty. What it is, I don't know. All I know is that this 'lingering will' won't falter until his duty is fulfilled. The reason it is fighting us is because it is testing us, seeing if one of us is the person he is after."

"So if this is a test, then all we have to do is defeat him, right?" Sora asked. "Right." Kirito replied, "But his will is strong. We can't falter until we finally proven ourselves against him. Let's give it everything we got, team! Show him our connection is stronger than his will!" "Right!" responded the team, ready to combat the knight, now calling him the Lingering Will.

Asuna dashed in and unleashed a flurry of thrusts at the knight, who got pushed back by the attack. It then turned around and dashed at Asuna with a flying slash, but Kirito jumped in to protect her while Sora entered Limit Form. Donald used his Blizzard while Goofy used his Tornado technique on both sides of the knight, pushing the Lingering Will away from Kirito and Asuna.

The Lingering Will transformed his Keyblade into a vehicle again and summoned sentinels along with him. He drove at the fighters, and Kirito and Asuna went to both sides as he passed between them. Sora dodge rolled out of the way as he stopped near him, then performed his Sonic Dash as he and the Lingering Will charged at one another. While they clashed once, Sora was unscathed as he kept in pursuit, coming at the Lingering Will several times before he was finished.

The Lingering Will jumped off his vehicle, dove into the ground, then rose out with several orange glowing rocks with patterns on them. They struck Sora, then enveloped him in an orange glow as his Keyblade vanished. "What's going on?!" Kirito demanded, seeing Sora land on the ground. "The Lingering Will has used a spell on Sora!" Yui explained, "Whatever it did, it prevented him from using standard attacks from his Keyblade!" Then they saw the Lingering Will form two small orbs next to him with the same orange glow. "If you destroy those orbs, it should release Sora from the curse." Yui told the team. "Okay, then. Let's give Sora a hand!" Kirito declared, "Asuna, Goofy, Donald! Take care of that orb. I'll protect Sora!"

Sora placed his guard up as the Lingering Will unleashed his whip attack, which ended up wrapping around Sora, throwing Sora upwards, then sending him crashing into the ground. Sora got up, moaning in pain. "I gotta get close so I can use another one of my Limit attacks on him." he muttered.

The Will transformed his Keyblade into its' cannon form, charging up a ball of light at Sora. Kirito came in between the attack and Sora, and used his Keyblade to send the attack right back. The knight then transformed his Keyblade into a bow-like form, shooting arrows that sent the ball back at the two. "Not again!" Sora cried. Kirito unleashed his Reflega, saving himself and Sora from the blast.

"Asuna! Let's use our strongest attack together!" Donald declared. "Time for Trinity!" Goofy added. "Let's do it!" Asuna replied, the three glowing in unison as they performed their Trinity Limit.

Donald started things off with 'Ultima', sending a storm of magic at the cursed orbs and the Lingering Will. Then Goofy followed it up with a 'Major Drive', sending a plethora of Drive Orbs, hitting both targets with great strength. Asuna then finished with 'Star Break', shooting at the targets in a similar fashion as Sora's Sonic Blade, only at a faster rate. The trio finished by gathering together underneath the flying targets, raised their weapons, and unleashed a ball of light surrounded by streams of blue, green and light-blue energy. The Lingering Will was caught within the attack, and the orbs shattered, freeing Sora from the curse.

The Lingering Will fell to the ground, but rose to his feet in two seconds as Donald, Goofy and Asuna backed off. "Stay down, will ya?!" Donald squawked. "It may not look it, but I have a feeling it's on its' last legs." Asuna stated. The Lingering Will looked to the trio, who were now joined by Sora and Kirito. It then formed a magic circle underneath itself as his arms, head and Keyblade started to glow a red aura. "Get ready, you guys." Kirito told the group, feeling the knight was about to unleash his most devastating attack.

The knight whipped his Keyblade to one side as he dashed at the group, then swung madly with his Keyblade, striking everyone before ending with a horizontal sword beam that struck Kirito back.

The knight then transformed his Keyblade into two different weapons, teleported right behind Asuna, then unleashed a spinning surge of energy that circled horizontally and vertically around the knight. Asuna was struck repeatedly with the attack, followed by a rising circle that sent her skyward and in pain.

It then converged his Keyblade into a claymore-like form, raised it high into the air, which seem to draw in lightning that enhanced its' powers, then teleported at Sora, unleashing a series of attacks all around Sora, who was able to block the first few attacks before being succumbed by the other attacks. It unleashing a final tornado slash that sent Sora flying back towards the others, who were struggling to get back up again.

"_Heal!_" Asuna shouted, raising her Keyblade and healing the group. Donald and Goofy helped Sora to her feet as Kirito stepped in front of the group, his eyes shadowed from view. The Lingering Will looked at him as he stood there. "Okay, you had your fun." Kirito told the knight, "Now, it's our turn now."

Asuna and Sora got to either side of Kirito. "_Limit!_" Kirito and Asuna shouted in unison, entering their Limit Forms. "Donald! Goofy! Yui! Step back! We'll finish this one up!" Sora told the trio, who nodded and ran away. The Will summoned several sentinels and dove into the ground. The trio dispersed as the laser fire nearly shot at them. They each took out the many sentinels before they could do any more damage.

Asuna's instincts took into affect, and she moved out of the way as the knight rose out of the ground, attempting to put a curse on her. "Like we would fall for that again!" Asuna barked, her Keyblade glowing purple. She then unleashed her 11-strike 'Mother's Rosario' Rapier Skill at the knight, sending it flying with her final thrust.

"Sora!" Asuna cried as Sora stood there, ready to go. "Take this!" Sora shouted, unleashing his Ars Arcanum technique, sending his powerful Keyblade combo before sending it flying with his final attack.

"Kirito!" Sora shouted to Kirito, who was ready to go as the knight was flung at him. Kirito had his Keyblades at the ready, then unleashed his 'Eclipse' Dual Blade Skill, striking it hard and strong without giving the knight a rest. With one final strike, Kirito unleashed an explosion that enveloped the knight.

Kirito, Asuna and Sora gathered together, reverting back to normal, breathing heavily from their last attacks. For a while, they saw nothing but smoke and rubble flying from Kirito's attack. Then it cleared up, revealing the knight standing there, almost like nothing had happened to it. "You gotta be kidding me!" Sora cried out. "And we gave it all we had in that attack." Asuna added, stumbling to one knee. "And what's more, I don't think I can continue fighting here." Kirito panted, looking at the knight. Kirito held his Keyblade in both hands, hoping to have enough strength to continue.

For a while, no one moved. Then the Lingering Will spoke. _That's it. Your power. Your memories._ he said, _That's what I felt within you._ The trio looked questionably at the knight, then it placed the tip of its' Keyblade into the ground, knelt down in front of it, his gauntlets holding the top of the guard.

_These prove your strength. Take them._ The Lingering Will said to them, and out from his body came three orbs that came at the trio. The trio's pockets glowed as the crowns and tiara appeared out of them, floating in front of each owner. The orbs dove into each headpiece, making them glow and turn gold. They floated back into each owner's hand.

"So our crowns became gold now." Asuna stated, seeing her new crown. "Wish we got a little something more out of this." Sora stated, holding up his crown above him. "We did." Kirito replied, making the two turn to him, "We learned that our journeys are not over, and that we have the strength to fight other battles like this one."

He then looked to the knight, who had not moved. "And I get the feeling that we also gained a stronger connection, too." he added, "And that we need to figure out what these connections are." "What are you talking about?" Asuna asked him. "I'm not sure." Kirito replied, "But…it's what my heart is saying. During that fight, I feel as if I am connected to that knight, though I can't say why. We'll just have to figure that part by ourselves."

The trio looked at the knight as Donald, Goofy and Yui joined them. "Look, a portal is open for us." Goofy pointed out, seeing a portal behind them. "Guess that means there's nothing else to do here." Sora replied, "Let's report this to the others." Sora, Donald, Goofy, Asuna, Yui and Kirito all walked back through the portal. Kirito stopped and turned to the knight, who had not moved from his spot. He wondered if he would meet the person who was really within that armor someday. Kirito looked down, pondering, then turned back and walked through the portal, which closed behind them, leaving the knight still there, motionless, his cape flying in the dusty winds of the badlands.

_I await for your return…Aqua…Ventus…and my soul._ The knight told the trio that had already left.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: I have to say, this battle was just as much fun of writing as Kirito vs. Sephiroth &amp; Sora vs. Erza, though a lot more difficult. Plus, it shows Kirito's connection with the Lingering Will even more so than before. I'm so glad to have done this.<strong>

**Kirito: That battle was certainly intense! But what about a new world for us to visit in SAK: Falling Fantasy?**

**Author: That's right! Well, it was one that I had planned to do in SAKII: Dimensional Bonds, but I decided to hold it off until now. The next world is...**

**Digimon Tamers**

**Asuna: It's probably better for this, since we will have Dream Eaters with us as well.**

**Author: Plus, I feel like the storyline would flow better this way than it would in SAKII. I've still got a few more episodes to do in the Final Mix ****before I actually get to the Falling Fantasy. So leave a review, tell your friends, and wait patiently for the next episode!**


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